# Republican politicians have embraced anti-Indian racism — and it’s costing them votes

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/republican-politicians-have-embraced-anti-indian-racism-and-its-costing-them-votes/
- Published: 2026-10-22T19:15:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-22T19:21:58+00:00
- Original publisher: The Verge
- Original article: https://www.theverge.com/report/1017003/indian-americans-republican-racism-vivek-ramaswamy-texas
- Topics: Asia, Elections, Politics, World

## Key points

- Indian American voter Vasant Bhatt has turned away from Republicans.
- The article links the shift to rising anti-Indian rhetoric.
- Indian American voters showed some Republican gains in 2024.

## Summary

Vasant Bhatt, an Indian American student who campaigned for Republicans in 2024, says rising anti-Indian racism has led him to vote for Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico and urge others to do likewise. The article argues that racist rhetoric from conservative figures and politicians risks undoing Republicans’ recent gains with Indian American voters, while lending support to tighter immigration policies.

Indian Americans have high turnout: about 70 per cent of eligible voters participate in presidential elections. Around a third supported Donald Trump in 2024, while the share leaning Democrat fell from 59 per cent in 2020 to 55 per cent in 2024. The article cites Texas Republican candidate Bo French’s remarks about South Asian-looking University of Texas fans, commentator Chris Rufo’s video on the “Indian Question”, and JD Vance’s description of H-1B visa workers as “foreign indentured servants”; India’s government called Vance’s comments deeply offensive.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.