During the recent Diwali period to celebrate a South Asian festival, FBI Director Kash Patel, Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and other prominent right-wing Hindu Americans were subject to racist and sectarian attacks by their own MAGA crowd.

Not even Usha Vance, the nation's second lady, has been spared.

For instance, Patel posted on X: “Happy Diwali ‒ celebrating the Festival of Lights around the world, as good triumphs over evil.”

Among the many hateful comments he received were:

None of this is new.

Historically, as I wrote during a spate of violent attacks against South Asians in 2017, President Donald Trump’s last time in office, anti-Indian bias has deep roots in this country going back to the 19th century – combined with prejudice against Muslims, Hindus and other groups.

Ramaswamy and Patel have, of course, heard this before. 

When Ramaswamy interviewed the far-right commentator Ann Coulter on his podcast in 2024, after his failed presidential run, Coulter said to his face: “I agreed with many, many things you said … but I still would not have voted for you, because you’re an Indian.”

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