Today marks the 61st anniversary of Medicaid. For most Americans, it’s a reminder of a program that has helped millions of children, seniors, people with disabilities, and working families get the healthcare they otherwise couldn’t afford.
For Vivek Ramaswamy, it’s apparently a reminder of what he believes was “a mistake.”
In an interview with Ezra Klein, when asked whether the creation of Medicare and Medicaid was a mistake, Ramaswamy answered, “I believe they were,” later clarifying he was referring “particularly” to Medicaid.
That wasn’t an off-the-cuff remark. The Republican gubernatorial candidate’s anti-Medicaid agenda aims to dismantle a program that children, seniors, and working families depend on and reflects a governing philosophy that consistently targets Americans’ healthcare — from his role helping lead the Trump-backed DOGE effort focused on shrinking the federal government, to making Medicaid a centerpiece of his budget-cutting agenda in Ohio.
Ramaswamy’s record speaks for itself:
- Called Medicaid “a mistake.“
- Co-created DOGE, which pushed for aggressive federal spending cuts that put Medicaid on the chopping block.
- Backed policies similar to Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” as it was projected to leave more than 254,000 Ohio Medicaid recipients without health coverage by 2034.
- Repeatedly targeted Medicaid, arguing billions should be cut through what he calls “waste, fraud and abuse.”
- Backed harsh work requirements and other restrictions that would make it harder for eligible Ohioans to keep their coverage.
“You learn a lot about someone’s judgment by what they choose to attack,” said Tiffiany Vaughn, a spokesperson at American Bridge 21st Century. “Vivek Ramaswamy looked at a program that more than three million Ohioans depend on and decided the mistake wasn’t that people struggle to afford healthcare — it was that Medicaid exists at all.
“That’s easy to say when you’re flying around Ohio on a private jet and never have to worry about paying for chemo, insulin, or a nursing home bill. Ohio families don’t have that luxury. They deserve a governor with the judgment to know the difference. The bottom line is Medicaid wasn’t the mistake. Nominating someone who thinks it was, will be.”
Published: Jul 30, 2026