On Monday (15th July local time), during the Republican National Convention (RNC), the Republicans formally picked Former US President Donald Trump as the party nominee for the upcoming US Presidential election slated on 5th November. Additionally, through his official social media handle, Trump announced Ohio Senator, JD Vance as his running mate and a pick for the Vice President post. Vance received warm wishes after Trump made the announcement. However, it triggered a barrage of racist, Hinduphobic remarks and slurs against his spouse, Usha Chilukuri Vance, a Hindu by religion and a daughter of Indian immigrants.
The New York Times described Usha as a perfect test case for the “Elite” and a “political cipher”, seemingly painting her as a tool for someone, who they didn’t specify, for sending a political message.
Hard cope has started. This is from the Times. Surprised they didn't write:
— Nemo (@NonsensicalNemo) July 16, 2024
"Usha Vance is a devout upper-caste Hindu from the dominant Kamma caste. As many experts have pointed out, Hinduism is the edifice upon which Hindutva, the driving philosophy of the Modi's nationalism is… pic.twitter.com/t4NRxcPy3w
Additionally, several X users and Americans made disparaging Hinduphobic remarks against Usha calling her of a mixed race, ethnicity, physiology, a “pajeet” etc. Several others made casteist remarks while many dismissed her as an “Elitist” person. Incidentally, some users found her an offshoot or tool for Hindutva, while others accused her of furthering and combining “Christian-Hindu supremacy” and Hind-Jew nexus, etc.
She has more European physiognomy though. Her bloodline is probably a mix of early Macedonian inviasions.
— Randy Treibel (@RandyTreibel) July 15, 2024
Is she Catholic?
— Kitka Kitteh (@KitkaKitteh) July 16, 2024
Pajeet 2025 continues its quiet success…#pajeet2025
— Pravin A Singh (@singh_prav58779) July 15, 2024
A thread shared by a popular X handle, Year of the Kraken, compiled some of the wild reactions of X users directing vile, racist, casteist, and xenophobic remarks against Usha Chilukuri.
THE GREAT AMERICAN MELTDOWN: JD VANCE'S HINDU WIFE AND REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION (RNC) EDITION
— Sensei Kraken Zero (@YearOfTheKraken) July 16, 2024
A THREAD~
1. ChristoHindu Supremacist Meltdown pic.twitter.com/hYnie2pFH3
An X user ranted that through Usha, the Republicans will garner votes of “hollow Indian Americans” who vote on identity politics as well as “Hindu supremacists” who will try to build unity among Christian and Hindu supremacists.
Another user went further to claim that all Indian-origin or people belonging to the Hindu faith active in US politics including Usha, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Tulsi Gabbard hail from the Hindutva spectrum.
2. 'Everyone is Hindutva' Meltdown pic.twitter.com/ZukH7e1sZe
— Sensei Kraken Zero (@YearOfTheKraken) July 16, 2024
An X handle named Facts Chaser made racist and casteist slurs against Usha and Vivek Ramaswamy.
Why did Trump pick JD Vance and not Vivek Ramaswamy? Ramaswamy is a Musk-level fraud and a Hindu Brahmin — which could have cost Trump votes from non-Brahmin / lower caste Hindus who experienced discrimination from Brahmins. Vivek was also “too brown” to be added to the ticket. pic.twitter.com/2rvpjH9dIU
— Facts Chaser 🌎 🤦🏻♂️ (@Factschaser) July 15, 2024
AnonPresby ranted that the most “scandalous fact” about JD Vance is that his wife is a “Hindu” for which he should be disqualified as if being a Hindu is a crime in America and a politically ostracised religion.
4. Disqualified Meltdown pic.twitter.com/UcUl78xxPL
— Sensei Kraken Zero (@YearOfTheKraken) July 16, 2024
5. Entrenched Caste System Groomed Meltdown pic.twitter.com/HVw7dEx40j
— Sensei Kraken Zero (@YearOfTheKraken) July 16, 2024
is he a quirked up white boy goated with the sauce
— taoki (@justalexoki) July 15, 2024
One user claimed that “Hind-Jew thesis is at an all time high rn”, alleging a nexus of Hindus and Jews when incidentally the interfaith couple happens to be from Christian and Hindu faith.
Usha Chilukuri added to the long list of US politicians belonging to the Hindu faith who have encountered bigotry
Many users directed their derogatory and racist, xenophobic-laced remarks against JD Vance’s wife, Usha Chilukuri Vance, for her religious and caste identity, but some of them even dragged along Vivek Ramaswamy and Tulsi Gabbard for their identity markers. Incidentally, similar racist-laced remarks surfaced when Vivek and Tulsi started making a strong buzz in the US political circles and building a huge voter-cum-fan base for themselves.
Earlier this year in May, American commentator and author Ann Coulter told Vivek Ramaswamy on his podcast that she wouldn’t have voted for him because he is an Indian. On numerous occasions, during his stint for the Presidential nomination bid from the Republican party, he had to face questions on Hinduism. He was often told that the US is a Christian-majority country so can a non-Christian person, “effectively lead” the country? The questions exposed the deep-seated bias against non-Christians and abject racism against a Hindu candidate.
During his short stint in the Presidential race, he repeatedly faced the same question, how can the US trust a Hindu to lead their Christian-majority country? On several occasions, he faced racism from the audience and prominent US celebrities.
One of the notorious cases of racism against Vivek Ramaswamy surfaced in July last year when an American pastor and televangelist named Hank Kunneman went on an anti-Hindu tirade against Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy following his decision to run as a Republican candidate for the upcoming 2024 US Presidential elections.
In his program, Kunneman said, “We are in danger as a country and listen to me Generation Z and millennials. Those of you, who are watching, may like this new young guy (referring to Vivek Ramaswamy).”
“If he does not serve the Lord Jesus Christ and stand primarily for Judeo-Christian principles, you will have a fight with God…What are we doing, even entertaining the fact you’re going to have some dude put his hand on something other than the Bible,” he brazened it out.
The televangelist remarked, “You are going to let him put all of his strange Gods up in the White House and are we just supposed to blink because he understands policies? No.”
Strikingly, his racist remarks received an overwhelmingly positive response from the audience, exposing the dark underbelly of racism prevalent in a substantial percentage of American society.
SHOCK: Ann Coulter Nikki Haley full remarks with Tim pool https://t.co/VNLTnSKckQ pic.twitter.com/tMUJECgfuZ
— Ben McCulley (@BenMcCulley) February 18, 2023
Similarly, in February last year, conservative political commentator Ann Coulter went on a racist tirade against Indian-origin Nikki Haley during her appearance on the ‘The Mark Simone Show’ podcast. During the podcast, Ann Coulter remarked, “She is just a preposterous creature…”
Ann Coulter then went on a xenophobic tirade and mocked Hindu sentiments. “What’s with the worshiping of the cows? They’re all starving over there and they’re worshiping cows? Do you know they have a rat temple where they worship rats?” she said.
Unfortunately, Hinduphobia is very real. I've experienced it directly in each of my campaigns for Congress & in this presidential race. Here's just one example of what Hindus face every day in our country. Sadly, our political leaders & media not only tolerate it, but foment it. https://t.co/60MDtszQHf
— Tulsi Gabbard 🌺 (@TulsiGabbard) March 5, 2020
In 2020, US Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard set social media on fire when she called out the Hinduphobia in the United States. The veteran said that she experienced it in each of her campaigns for Congress and in the presidential race. She also said that politicians and the media in the USA not only tolerate it but foment it as well.
Through its media, cinema industry, think tank, and dominant political rhetoric, the US tries to project itself as the nation championing the model of an egalitarian society that the world should replicate and follow the dictates of the US administration on Religious freedom, curbing racism, xenophobia, etc. However, the fact is the US has been notorious for having a warped worldwide and a deeper darker underbelly of racism, xenophobia, and religious hate crimes which are more pronounced in its society, especially at a time when non-Christian or people of colour start making it big or make hard-earned places for themselves.
