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Exclusive: Republican candidate for Ohio governor Vivek Ramaswamy told Fox News Digital that the violent assault in downtown Cincinnati early Saturday morning “hit close to home.”
The brutal attack on Fourth Street and Elm Street triggered national outrage, including from national leaders like Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, and Vice President JD Vance after the now-viral video circulated across social media.
The video, which occurred outside a popular nightclub, shows a mob viciously attacking two people, including a woman who was knocked out while bystanders filmed instead of intervening.
“I spoke to Holly earlier today,” Ramaswamy said in a social media post, referring to the woman who was knocked out.
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“Most importantly, we’re praying for her recovery,” Ramaswamy told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview. “It was sad to watch. And one of the things that surprised me was, despite how many times that video had been viewed around the country and beyond, she told me that I was the first state or local official that had reached out, and she appreciated that.”
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Ramaswamy, who was born and raised in Cincinnati, said this incident should be a “wake-up call for why we need to address the wave of violent crime across the country.”
A lone gunman killed four people, including a New York Police Department (NYPD) officer, on Monday afternoon in New York City, renewing national public safety concerns.
Ramaswamy said it “struck a chord” to see a violent incident play out in his hometown of Cincinnati.
“I think part of the reason it got the attention it did is that it struck a nerve that went far beyond this incident and what people are seeing in crumbling cities across the country, due to poor, failed, anti-police policies and poor left-wing leadership,” Ramaswamy said of the Ohio assault.
The business leader lamented that “it hasn’t always been that way in Cincinnati, and it doesn’t need to be.”
“The leadership tone starts at the top,” Ramaswamy said. “We need leaders who are willing to be unapologetic about standing for the rule of law. I won’t apologize for backing law enforcement.”
The former Republican presidential candidate and businessman told Fox News Digital that the top lesson he learned from his conversation with Holly is that “we need to bring back common sense.”
“Bring back rational police presence in our cities, and do it in a way that unites people around safety, rather than seeing tragedies like the one that played out in Cincinnati over the weekend,” Ramaswamy explained.
Specifically, as governor, the Republican candidate told Fox News Digital that common-sense reform includes reallocating resources for a greater police presence and equipping police officers with more training to effectively do their jobs.
If elected next year, Ramaswamy said, “We’re going to set an example for what that looks like in Ohio,” emphasizing the importance of strong leadership at the top, shifting the culture to one that prioritizes the rule of law.
“We’ve got to listen to the people we lead, listen with empathy, but to channel even those most negative of experiences to have positive solutions, and that’s the tone I’m looking to set in our state,” Ramaswamy said of his conversation with Holly.
The gubernatorial candidate and native Ohioan described Holly as a “single working mom who went to a friend’s birthday party,” in his post on Monday night.
“It’s unconscionable that there were no police present in that area of Cincinnati on a Friday night, or even an ambulance to take her to the hospital. Hard-working Americans shouldn’t have to worry for their safety when they have a good time in our cities,” he continued.
“Holly appreciates the kind words and prayers from patriots across the country, and hopes that the publicity around her story ensures that local & state leaders clean up our failing cities. We hope to visit Holly soon as she recovers,” Ramaswamy shared.
Fox News Digital’s Pete D’Abrosca contributed to this report.
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