Vivek Ramaswamy Proposes Closing FBI and Cutting Federal Jobs by 75%: "Shut Down The Deep State"

In an unexpected turn of events, Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy announced an aggressive plan to reorganize the federal government, which includes shutting down the FBI and cutting the federal workforce by 75%. These audacious initiatives have sparked a firestorm of debate in political circles and across the country.

Ramaswamy detailed his idea for restructuring the federal government in a recent policy lecture at the America First Policy Institute in Washington, D.C., reports The New York Times. His recommendations include the Department of Education, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Food and Nutrition Service, among others. Ramaswamy claimed he could make these changes unilaterally, bypassing Congress, which has prompted legal concerns and objections from experts. “The people who we elect to run the government ought to be the ones who actually run the government,” Ramaswamy said.

Ramaswamy's audacious plan promises to reduce the federal workforce by 75%. This would imply the termination of more than 1.6 million federal positions. Such a significant cut would have far-reaching implications for critical government activities ranging from police enforcement to student financial aid and special education programs.

Legal experts have expressed serious doubts regarding Ramaswamy's initiatives' viability and legality. The campaign white paper was dismissed by Peter M. Shane, a scholar in residence at New York University, as "fantastical," while Peter L. Strauss, a professor emeritus of law at Columbia University, pointed out that Ramaswamy's plan violated the Constitution's mandate that Congress create government departments and agencies. These criticisms call Ramaswamy's perspective into question.

He said, “We will use executive authority to shut down the deep state." Ramaswamy's allegations and actions against the "deep state" match those of former President Donald J. Trump. Trump attempted to tighten political influence over federal workers near the conclusion of his presidency, but he did not seek mass firings. Ramaswamy, on the other hand, envisions a more total deconstruction of what he sees as entrenched bureaucracy.

As per the NY Times, Mr. Ramaswamy, who has fewer than 10% support in primary surveys, has positioned himself as the Republican Party's future — an extreme conservative in the likes of Trump.  Another Republican candidate, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, has called for reducing the government workforce, specifically targeting the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Education. This reflects a broader Republican Party movement to shrink the size and scope of the federal government.

Despite his opposition to Trump, Ramaswamy has consistently complimented him as the most effective leader of the century. This contradictory posture has piqued the interest and curiosity of primary voters. Ramaswamy's recommendations connect with a part of the GOP base in an environment where Trump-style Republicans have slammed government institutions like the FBI for their probes into Trump's 2016 campaign.