Vivek Ramaswamy deletes campaign video after baseball mockery

Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican candidate for Governor of Ohio, has deleted a campaign video from his Instagram account following widespread social media mockery of his baseball skills. The advertisement featured Ramaswamy at a batting cage, attempting to swing a bat between presenting ten campaign promises intended to make the former presidential hopeful appear more relatable to voters.

Critics and social media users ridiculed his batting form, with some observers noting he appeared uncomfortable with the equipment. An eyewitness at the sports complex claimed that despite the pitching machine being set to a slow 40 mph, Ramaswamy only made contact with five out of 25 pitches. While the video was removed from Instagram, reports indicate it remained available on his TikTok page.

The incident occurs as the gubernatorial race in the battleground state remains a toss-up between Ramaswamy and Democratic candidate Amy Acton. The campaign's attempt to use traditional American iconography like baseball is seen by analysts as an effort to connect with voters, though the execution has drawn significant online trolling.