Millennial billionaire presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy wowed pundits during the first Republican debate last month, as he was declared the winner of the debate and internet search data showed he was the most searched GOP candidate during the debate.

Ramaswamy outshined the Republican frontrunner (besides Trump–who didn’t attend the Fox News-hosted debate) Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, as far as far-right stances and policy proposals. His policy proposals target progressive policies. His policy pitches include raising the voting age to 25, supporting a 6-week abortion ban and scrapping major federal offices like the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the FBI.

He’s been labeled as the “anti-woke” candidate and has even written a book called “Woke Inc.: Inside Corporate America’s Social Justice Scam.” His anti-woke stances include believing in reverse racism, supporting the fossil fuel industry and a rigid view of the gender binary.

“[Ramaswamy’s] unlikely rise has revealed the remarkable degree to which the former president has remade the party,” the New York Times reported in August.

The ultra-conservative candidate is running on a platform to “Revive American National Identity,” according to his campaign website. Many argue that his stances contribute to the existing polarization in U.S. politics, while those on the right are finding resonance with his emphasis on traditional American values.

With his daring declarations, Ramaswamy has emerged as a frontrunner among Republicans and one to watch in the US presidential race. As onlookers continue to see how the race unfolds, here are 5 of his boldest statements about American identity and why it matters.

1. “The absence of national pride is a serious threat to the future of our country.”

What he said:

In a speech, Ramaswamy denounced what he called the “new secular religions” of “racial woke-ism,” gender ideology, “climate religion,” “COVID-ism” and “transgenderism,” saying those things have replaced concepts like patriotism, hard work and faith.

What does it mean?

To address this, he wants to raise the voting age to 25 unless Americans serve in the military or as a first responder for six months or pass the civics test required for all immigrants to pass before receiving their citizenship.

Why it matters:

In a statement he said the “absence of national pride is a serious threat to the future of our country” and argued his proposal “can create a sense of shared purpose and responsibility amongst young Americans to become educated citizens.”

Cutting people under the age of 25 out of the voting bloc would essentially keep Gen Z from voting, if Ramaswamy had his way in 2024. Young people of color would also lose a voice, with Gen Z being the most diverse generation to date.

2. “The Department of Education, the FBI, the IRS…should not exist.”

What he said:

Ramaswamy has proposed eliminating various government regulatory agencies, arguing they should not exist.

“The Department of Education, the FBI, the ATF, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the IRS, the Department of Commerce,” he told Fox News Digital in a July interview.

What does it mean?

Ramaswamy wants to eliminate these regulatory agencies in hopes of stimulating the economy. He’s called these regulations a “wet blanket on businesses across this country,” and believes removing these regulations will be good for business and good for consumers.

Why it matters:

Eliminating these organizations would accomplish Ramaswamy’s goal of removing what he views as burdensome regulations, but it would also remove those regulations put in place to protect residents.

His proposals for what he wants to replace the FBI with still sounds a lot like the FBI, Katie Balevic wrote in a piece for Business Insider in April. Ramaswamy explained his stance further, basically saying that he basically wants to “rebuild it from scratch and have something new take its place” to root out corruption.

His plan to downsize the government could result in layoffs of more than three-quarters of the federal workforce, or more than 1 million people.

3. “I want the truth about 9/11.”

What he said:

We’ve talked about Christian Nationalism and 9/11, but this isn’t what Ramaswamy is getting at. He’s made several statements about 9/11, especially the 9/11 Commission, and some questions he believed the commission didn’t answer.

The comments were made during an interview with The Atlantic, where he said he was misquoted. The Atlantic released a full transcript and audio recording of the conversation.

“I think it is legitimate to say how many police, how many federal agents, were on the planes that hit the Twin Towers. Maybe the answer is zero. It probably is zero for all I know, right? I have no reason to think it was anything other than zero. But if we’re doing a comprehensive assessment of what happened on 9/11, we have a 9/11 commission, absolutely that should be an answer the public knows the answer to,” Ramaswamy told The Atlantic.

What does it mean?

In the conversation, Ramaswamy compares the Jan. 6 Commission with the 9/11 Commission. He suggested federal agents may have been on planes involved in the attacks.

Why it matters:

Ramaswamy has made other statements about the government and 9/11, including a lengthy tweet where he implied that U.S. officials covered up Saudi intelligence officials’ involvement in planning the attacks.

The U.S. government has said Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda were behind the 9/11 attacks. The 9/11 Commission said in its report that it didn’t find evidence that Saudi leaders were complicit in the attacks, but it did say Saudi nationals played key roles in funding Al Qaeda.

The Saudi question is major–one that divided the FBI, as ProPublica described, in their 2021 report detailing the experiences of some of the agents who worked the 9/11 case. Aside from the whodunnit of it all, the questions around the government’s involvement and what they did or did not cover up speak to a plethora of 9/11 conspiracy theories.

The range of the types of people who adhere to these theories are as diverse as the theories themselves. People who believe the government had something worth covering up when it comes to questions about 9/11 don’t fit a particular political ideology.

While 45% of Americans polled in 2019 said they strongly disbelieve the conspiracy that 9/11 was an inside job, nearly a quarter said they either somewhat or strongly believe the conspiracy theory could be the truth.

4. “We are one nation under God.”

What he said:

“I’m a person of faith. Evangelical Christians across the state are also people of faith,” he told NBC News in July. “We found commonality in our need to defend religious liberty, to stand for faith and patriotism and stand unapologetically for the fact that we are one nation under God.”

What does it mean?

Various scholars and pundits have had a lot to say about Vivek Ramaswamy’s connections to Hindu Nationalism. He’s been open about his Hindu faith on the campaign trail, and listed “God is real” as the first of the 10 “truths” he lists for his campaign.

He’s trying to pander to Christians, and he’s using a lot of things to try to signal their base.

Why it matters:

This whole conversation about the GOP hopeful and religion is important because white evangelicals are a powerful voting bloc, as former President (and 2024 candidate) Donald Trump discovered.

While Ramaswamy seems open and ready to embrace evangelicals, the potential voting bloc remains curious and cautious about his Hindu faith. Some constituents on the campaign trail have asked him to define which “God” he’s talking about in his 10 things.

Ramaswamy knows that stating his belief in God and belief in morals is important to evangelical voters, but it’s still early to know how the evangelical vote will swing, especially with Trump currently leading polls at 55%, DeSantis comes in second with 14.2% and Ramaswamy in third with 7% of the vote, according to Five Thirty-Eight polls.

5. “Parents know what is best for their kids.”

What he said:

This statement was another one of his “10 truths” for his campaign. This statement also came with a vow to remove the Department of Education and “use its $80+ billion budget on school safety, school choice and vocational programs instead of foisting toxic ideologies onto kids.”

What does it mean?

This jab at “toxic ideologies” and criticism is akin to the ideas pushed by the controversial parents rights group “Moms for Liberty,” which consists of conservative, mostly white women. is growing in political influence in Florida, where the group started.

Why it matters:

Ramaswamy spoke at the Moms for Liberty convention in July, so he’s not a stranger to the group’s efforts to shake up school districts. Americans United for the Separation of Church and State called them a “Christian Nationalist Front Group” earlier this year.

His association with parents rights groups like Moms for Liberty and the group’s characterization as a “Christian Nationalist Front Group” matters because it provides insights into his educational policy priorities, his alignment with a particular faction of the conservative movement, and his stance on the separation of church and state.

The group is also gaining ground in GOP circles, with more women associated with the group being elected to political offices.

Last week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Moms for Liberty co-founder Tina Descovich to the Florida Ethics Commission, which has power to interpret the state’s political ethics laws and implement the state’s financial disclosure laws.