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Scoop: Ramaswamy pledges to spend at least $30M of his money in Ohio’s race for governor
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FIRST ON FOX: Vivek Ramaswamy is putting his money where his mouth is.
The multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur and business leader fueled his campaign for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination with over $30 million of his own money.
And in a Fox News Digital interview Thursday, Ramaswamy revealed that when it comes to his 2026 Republican campaign for Ohio governor, «we are prepared to invest at the same scale or greater.»
«Whatever is required to ensure that we’re successful in really leading the state to the next level,» Ramaswamy said. «Losing this race is not an option. Winning is the only option, and we’re going to win it. And I think that that will require resources of every form.»
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Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy speaks at a campaign event in Cincinnati June 24, 2025 (Vivek Ramaswamy campaign)
Ramaswamy was interviewed the day after his campaign announced that he had raised nearly $10 million in a little over four months since he announced his gubernatorial candidacy in late February. Ramaswamy’s campaign touted that the money raked in set a «record for the largest first-quarter fundraising total in state history.»
«I think it says that we have unprecedented support in our state, and that is a beautiful thing to see this early in a Republican race,» Ramswamy said. «And I think that that’s a powerful signal of unity.»
RAMASWAMY LAUNCHES BID FOR OHIO GOVERNOR
Ramaswamy, who has been endorsed by President Donald Trump, noted he’s the only major Republican candidate right now in the race to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Mike DeWine.
«I’m running unopposed in a Republican primary in a state that is certainly leaning reliably red, and I’m proud to say that we have united, not just the Republicans in Ohio, but we are beginning to draw support from a wide range of nontraditional Republican backers, entrepreneurs, younger people,» he added.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy of Ohio teams up with supporters in Defiance, Ohio, June 16, 2025 (Vivek Ramaswamy campaign)
State Attorney General Dave Yost launched a gubernatorial campaign but dropped out of the race in May.
Ohio Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel, a former longtime Ohio State University head football coach who later served as president of Youngstown State University, said earlier this year he was considering a run for governor. But speculation surrounding Tressel has faded in recent weeks after his initial comments were not followed by any announcement.
Asked if he has any concerns about facing a competitive primary, Ramaswamy said, «None, zero.»
«I like Jim a lot. He and I have had some great conversations, none of which were about this race,» Ramaswamy said. «I actually consider him to be a guy who is bringing a great spirit and tenor to Ohio. And I view Coach Tressel as an asset that I want to see our state continue to use to revive our sense of unity and spirit and ambition and pursuit of success.»
TOP JD VANCE POLITICAL ADVISERS TO PLAY KEY ROLES IN RAMASWAMY CAMPAIGN
In the race for the Democratic nomination in the onetime battleground turned red state, former Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton launched a gubernatorial bid in January.
But all eyes are on former longtime Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, who narrowly lost his Senate seat in last year’s election to GOP Sen. Bernie Moreno.
Brown is thought to be a potential candidate in either the Senate or gubernatorial races.
Ramaswamy said he «would love the Democrats to have a competitive primary while I continue to run unopposed in this race.»
But he suggested it didn’t matter who the Democrats nominate because «it’s not who we’re running against, it’s what we’re actually running for.»
«I think we have incredible strength,» he added before predicting «that we’re going to defeat whoever we are up against by, I believe, a decisive margin.»
The 39-year-old Ramaswamy launched his presidential campaign in February 2023 and quickly saw his stock rise as he went from a long shot to a contender for the Republican nomination, as part of a field of candidates challenging Trump.
He campaigned on what he called an «America First 2.0» agenda and was one of Trump’s biggest supporters in the field of rivals, calling Trump the «most successful president in our century.»
Vivek Ramaswamy endorses Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during a campaign event in Atkinson, N.H., Jan. 16, 2024. (Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images)
Ramaswamy dropped his White House bid early last year after a distant fourth-place finish in the Iowa caucuses and quickly endorsed Trump, becoming a top surrogate on the campaign trail.
Trump, in the days after his November presidential election victory, named Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, along with Ramaswamy, to steer the newly announced Department of Government Efficiency initiative, better known as DOGE.
But in January, as Trump was inaugurated, the new administration announced Ramaswamy was no longer serving at DOGE. Ramaswamy’s exit cleared the way for Musk, Trump’s top donor and, at the time, a key ally, to steer DOGE without having to share the limelight. Ramaswamy quickly moved toward launching a run for governor.
Elon Musk (left) and Vivek Ramaswamy (center) arrive on Capitol Hill Dec. 5, 2024, for meetings with members of Congress regarding the newly announced Department of Government Efficiency. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Ramaswamy was raised in Evendale, Ohio, in suburban Cincinnati by parents who emigrated from India. His father worked as an engineer at General Electric Aviation, and his mother was a geriatric psychiatrist. Ramaswamy and his family live in suburban Columbus.
The candidate noted that «one of my core areas of focus that I think is really resonating, is elevating the standards of educational achievement in our state.»
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«The No. 1 issue that I see resonating across the board, in a non-partisan manner, is the recognition that we are in the middle of this educational achievement crisis,» he added.
And Ramaswamy insisted that «anybody who’s a parent, or even anybody who’s a young person recently graduating from school, recognizes that this is going to be an issue that we have to turn around, to preserve our place, the leading country in the world, and that is the project that we are going to make Ohio ground zero for in the United States.»
Fox News’ Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report
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German chancellor defends remarks on migrants suggesting citizens ‘afraid to move around in public spaces’
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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has doubled down on comments he made about migration, saying many Germans and Europeans are «afraid to move around in public spaces.»
Merz has rejected criticism from some German political circles over his government’s tough stance on illegal immigration.
«But we still have this problem in the cityscape, of course, and that’s why the federal interior minister is facilitating and carrying out large-scale deportations,» he said during a visit to Potsdam last week.
GERMANY BRACES UNDER COLLAPSING GOVERNMENT AND LOOMING TRUMP TRADE WAR
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz sparked backlash while remarking about the country’s migration policies. (Thomas Traasdahl/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)
The statement prompted backlash, some accusing the German leader of being racist. He rejected the criticism while on the sidelines of a summit on the Western Balkans in London, saying migrants were «an indispensable part of our labor market,» German-based DW News reported.
He also claimed that many people in Germany and across Europe are nonetheless «afraid to move around in public spaces» because of migrants «who do not have permanent residence status, do not work and do not abide by our rules,» the outlet reported.
MD GOV DEFENDS $190K TRUMP-CENTRIC IRISH CONSULTANT CONTRACT AS POTUS MOVES IN NEXT DOOR
Numerous demonstrators gather for a demonstration in Berlin Oct. 19, 2025, with the slogan «Brandmauer hoch!» («We are the cityscape»), referring to a statement made by Chancellor Merz in reference to migration policy. (Annette Riedl/picture alliance via Getty Images)
«I don’t know whether you have children. If you do, and there are daughters among them, ask your daughters what I might have meant. I suspect you’ll get a pretty clear and unambiguous answer. There’s nothing I need to retract,» he said when asked if he would withdraw his earlier remarks.
Some have signed a petition disputing Merz’s comments. The signees include actor Marie Nasemann and environmental activist Luisa Neubauer.
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«There are approximately 40 million daughters in this country. We have a genuine interest in ensuring that our safety is taken seriously,» Neubauer wrote on Instagram. «What we are not interested in is being misused as a pretext or justification for statements that were ultimately discriminatory, racist and deeply hurtful.»
germany,illegal immigrants,europe
INTERNACIONAL
Brasil advierte que una «intervención externa» en Venezuela puede «incendiar» América del Sur
Una intervención de Estados Unidos para deponer al presidente de Venezuela Nicolás Maduro «puede incendiar América del Sur» y Brasil no lo aceptará, advirtió el asesor especial del presidente Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Celso Amorim.
En una entrevista con AFP, Amorim, que fue canciller de Lula en sus primeros dos gobiernos (2003-2010), expresó preocupación por los ataques estadounidenses sin «ninguna prueba» contra embarcaciones de supuestos narcotraficantes en el Caribe, cerca de las costas venezolanas, lo que calificó como una «amenaza de intervención externa».
El asunto, según el veterano diplomático, puede estar en la agenda de una reunión todavía a confirmar entre Lula y el presidente estadounidense, Donald Trump, el domingo en Malasia, al margen de la cumbre regional de la Asean.
Las relaciones entre Trump y Lula se tensaron luego de que el republicano impusiera aranceles punitivos del 50% al gigante sudamericano por el juicio al ex presidente Jair Bolsonaro, condenado a 27 años de cárcel por golpismo.
-¿Lula expresará su descontento ante Trump por los ataques estadounidenses a embarcaciones en el Caribe si se concreta su reunión el domingo?
-Dependerá del ambiente de la conversación. Brasil claramente está preocupado con el uso de la fuerza, la amenaza del uso de la fuerza o la amenaza de métodos clandestinos como la CIA para derribar gobiernos de la región. No queremos una convulsión en nuestra región. Dependiendo de lo que suceda, puede efectivamente tener consecuencias muy profundas y muy graves. No va a quedar contenida a los países donde ocurra. Hay una amenaza de intervención externa, hay personas muriendo ya. No sé si son narcotraficantes, pero no hay ninguna prueba de que lo sean. Es muy peligroso».
-¿Si EEUU interviene para deponer al mandatario venezolano Nicolás Maduro, cómo se posicionaría Brasil?
-Estamos en contra de una intervención externa. El problema de quién va a gobernar en Venezuela es de los venezolanos. No es fácil, exige mucha ayuda para crear puentes, pero una intervención externa, sea armada o con servicios de inteligencia, no es el camino. No podemos aceptar una intervención externa porque eso va a crear un resentimiento inmenso. Para Brasil y para Colombia (puede) crear problemas concretos de refugiados. Eso puede incendiar América del Sur y llevar a la radicalización de la política en todo el continente».
-¿Qué permitió el acercamiento de Brasil y Estados Unidos después de meses de tensiones por el juicio a Bolsonaro y los aranceles?
-«Diría que el sentido común, de ambas partes. El presidente Lula no va a dar lecciones a Trump y espero que lo contrario no ocurra tampoco. Tiene que haber un diálogo para buscar los puntos de encuentro. Se trata de continuar una conversación positiva y sobre todo un buen entendimiento en la parte económica y comercial».
-¿Cree que Trump desistió de apoyar al bolsonarismo en Brasil tras la condena al ex presidente ultraderechista?
-La palabra Bolsonaro no fue pronunciada en la conversación (telefónica de Lula y Trump el 6 de octubre). En todo gobierno hay personas más pragmáticas y personas más ideológicas. En este caso, creo que personas pragmáticas deben de haber hablado con Trump».
-¿Qué ofrecerá Brasil a EEUU para lograr la retirada de los aranceles?
-Creo que lo más importante es haber comenzado un diálogo sin precondiciones. Se acordó crear un grupo de trabajo que discutirá las cuestiones comerciales. Ahora, cómo será, qué será importante, es muy pronto para decirlo. Yo fui negociador durante mucho tiempo y no es cuestión de ir ofreciendo cosas.
-¿Los minerales críticos, entre ellos las tierras raras que Brasil posee, pueden estar sobre la mesa?
-Conversaremos sobre cualquier asunto. Sobre minerales críticos y tierras raras, lo importante es que seamos capaces de definir nuestras necesidades. Nosotros estamos abiertos a inversiones, siempre que también haya beneficio para Brasil.
-¿Brasil prioriza lograr la exención de aranceles a sectores importantes como la carne y el café?
-La carne y el café son importantes obviamente pero las máquinas y motores también. Todos los sectores serán negociados. Creo que va a ser una discusión práctica, vamos a ver qué conseguimos. No hubo condicionamiento político, jurídico o ideológico en relación a la negociación. Eso es lo más importante, ya es un nuevo comienzo.
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The Trump administration’s Treasury Department on Friday sanctioned Colombian President Gustavo Francisco Petro, along with his wife, son and a close associate, accusing the group of being involved in the global illicit drug trade.
The action was taken under a Biden administration executive order targeting foreigners involved in the drug trade.
Petro joins a number of other world leaders under sanction by the Treasury, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and former president of Syria Bashar al-Assad.
President of Colombia Gustavo Petro Urrego was placed under sanction by the U.S. Treasury. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
TRUMP DOUBLES DOWN ON COLOMBIA CRACKDOWN, CALLS PETRO ‘LUNATIC,’ VOWS TO END ALL US PAYMENTS OVER DRUGS
«Since President Gustavo Petro came to power, cocaine production in Colombia has exploded to the highest rate in decades, flooding the United States and poisoning Americans,» Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent wrote in a news release. «President Petro has allowed drug cartels to flourish and refused to stop this activity.»
Petro responded to the announcement on X, calling the sanction «a complete paradox.»
«Indeed, Bernie Moreno’s threat has come true; my children, my wife, and I have been added to the OFAC list,» Petro wrote in a post. «My lawyer in my defense will be Dany Kovalik from the USA. Fighting drug trafficking for decades and effectively has brought me this measure from the government of the society we helped so much to curb their cocaine consumption. A complete paradox, but not a step back and never on our knees.»
The Treasury accused Petro, his wife Veronica, eldest son Nicolás, and Minister of Interior Armando Benedetti of being involved in narcotics trafficking and narcoterrorism, which it said is continuing to fuel violence, corruption and instability in Colombia, while also «posing significant challenges to regional and international security.»
«Colombia remains the world’s top producer and exporter of cocaine,» officials wrote in a statement. «Cocaine from Colombia is often purchased by Mexican cartels, who then smuggle it into the United States via the southern border. It is a scheduled substance that is a significant drug threat to the United States, despite Gustavo Petro’s recent, flippant comparison of the use of the drug to whiskey.»
Petro, a former guerrilla member, was elected to the Colombian presidency in 2022.
Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro said he has hired an American attorney. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara, File)
The department accused him of providing narco-terrorist organizations with benefits under the auspices of his «total peace» plan, among other policies, which officials said have led to record highs in coca cultivation and cocaine production.
The Treasury also alleged Petro has allied himself with Maduro, who is also under U.S. sanction, and the Cartel de Los Soles.
WITKOFF SCRAMBLES FOR PEACE DEAL WITH RUSSIA AS SANCTIONS LOOM TARGETING INDIA, CHINA
«Gustavo Petro’s erratic behavior has also driven Colombia further apart from its partners in additional ways,» officials wrote. «In 2024, he shared confidential information obtained via secure anti-money laundering communication channels, threatening the integrity of the international financial system and leading to the suspension of Colombia’s Financial Intelligence Unit from The Egmont Group.»
Petro’s son and political heir, Nicolás, was charged in 2023 with money laundering and illicit enrichment over allegations that he funneled money received from drug traffickers into his father’s «total peace» efforts and election campaign.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro was sanctioned along with his family and an associate. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
He later admitted to receiving dirty money from a person formerly involved in narcotics trafficking and son of a contractor on trial for financing paramilitaries, according to officials.
President Donald Trump determined Columbia was a major drug transit or major illicit drug producing country on Sept. 15, finding it is «failing demonstrably» to uphold its drug control responsibilities.
TRUMP AND PUTIN’S RELATIONSHIP TURNS SOUR AS PRESIDENT PUSHES FOR RESOLUTION WITH UKRAINE
Property and assets belonging to those sanctioned, that are in the U.S. or controlled by people in the U.S., are frozen and must be reported to OFAC. Entities owned 50% or more by those sanctioned are also frozen, and U.S. citizens are generally prohibited from related transactions.
Violations can result in civil or criminal penalties, with OFAC able to impose civil penalties on a strict liability basis.
Principal deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott added Secretary of State Marco Rubio will not certify Colombia under the criteria of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2024, as carried forward by the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2025.
«The United States will not turn a blind eye to Petro’s appeasement and emboldening of narco-terrorists,» Pigott wrote in a statement. «We are committed to bringing terrorists and drug traffickers to justice and preventing deadly illegal drugs from entering our country. There must be no impunity for drug traffickers or acts of terrorism or violence by criminal armed groups.»
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«We remain steadfast in our support for Colombian security forces, its justice sector, and departmental and municipal officials, and we will continue to partner with them in our joint efforts to combat drug trafficking,» he added. «Today’s decision is not a reflection on these institutions but rather the failures and incompetence of Gustavo Petro and his inner circle.»
Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, reacted to the announcement on X, saying «FAFO,» an acronym which stands for f— around and find out.
latin america,americas,south america,world
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