Re-runs of Friends breed ‘laziness’ and ‘mediocrity’ in US tradition, says Trump cost-cutter Vivek Ramaswamy

An entrepreneur-turned-politician set to co-lead Donald Trump’s cost-cutting drive has claimed repeats of TV shows like Friends have bred ‘laziness’ and ‘mediocrity’.

His outlandish attack also featured former GOP presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy taking aim at a host of other beloved 90s sitcoms, as he made a point around ‘fixing the problem’ of what he perceives to be wrong with American culture today.

In a long post to X, he said: ‘Our American culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence for way too long (at least since the 90s and likely longer). 

‘That doesn’t start in college, it starts YOUNG. 

‘A culture that celebrates the prom queen over the math olympiad champ, or the jock over the valedictorian, will not produce the best engineers. 

‘A culture that venerates Cory from “Boy Meets World,” or Zach & Slater over Screech in “Saved by the Bell,” or “Stefan” over Steve Urkel in “Family Matters,” will not produce the best engineers.

‘More movies like Whiplash, fewer reruns of “Friends.”

‘More math tutoring, fewer sleepovers. More weekend science competitions, fewer Saturday morning cartoons.

‘More books, less TV. More creating, less ‘chillin.’ More extracurriculars, less “hanging out at the mall.”

Ramaswamy, who was recently named co-chief of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) alongside Elon Musk, sparked a furore on Thursday after suggesting US tech firms prefer to hire foreigners because they had a better work ethic. 

In his message, he voiced strong support for bringing ‘highly skilled’ foreign workers to the US, even as MAGA voters and Trump himself have championed stricter immigration policies.

‘The reason top tech companies often hire foreign-born & first-generation engineers over ‘native’ Americans isn’t because of an innate American IQ deficit (a lazy & wrong explanation),’ Ramaswamy wrote.

‘A key part of it comes down to the c-word: culture. Tough questions demand tough answers & if we’re really serious about fixing the problem, we have to confront the TRUTH: Our American culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence for way too long.’

He continued: ‘If you grow up aspiring to normalcy, normalcy is what you will achieve.’

Ramaswamy went on to say that he remains hopeful for the future ‘only if our culture fully wakes up’.

He said: ‘This can be our Sputnik moment. We’ve awaken from slumber before & we can do it again. 

‘Trump’s election hopefully marks the beginning of a new golden era in America, but only if our culture fully wakes up. 

‘A culture that once again prioritizes achievement over normalcy; excellence over mediocrity; nerdiness over conformity; hard work over laziness.

The MAGA movement, long united under its ‘America First’ banner, is facing a deepening schism as an intense online battle over the H-1B visa programme engulfs its ranks. 

The programme, which allows US companies to hire highly skilled foreign workers, has become a lightning rod for controversy within President-elect Donald Trump‘s ranks. 

Not all within the party were happy however to support Ramaswamy’s provocative views. 

Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who positioned herself as a moderate during the 2024 Republican primaries, offered a biting response.

‘There is nothing wrong with American workers or American culture,’ Haley declared. 

‘All you have to do is look at the border and see how many want what we have. We should be investing and prioritizing in Americans, not foreign workers.’

Right-wing provocateur Mike Cernovich also weighed in, lambasting Ramaswamy’s comments as dismissive of America’s storied history of innovation. 

‘The Woodstock generation managed to build out aerospace, the one before went to the moon,’ he wrote.

‘Underlying your post is that we were all living in squalor until being rescued by H-1B’s. Then why did everyone want to come here?’

Ramaswamy responded: ‘That version of America, the one that used to embody unbridled exceptionalism, is exactly what we want to return to. That’s a point about culture, not immigration policy.’

Even MAGA influencers like Jack Posobiec joined the fray, questioning why America would seek foreign workers instead of nurturing domestic talent. 

‘Imagine how many more JD Vances are out there,’ Posobiec argued, referencing the MAGA-aligned senator known for his rags-to-riches story.

Far-right commentator Laura Loomer took an even harsher stance, accusing Ramaswamy of undermining MAGA’s original agenda.   

Her incendiary post referred to the H-1B visa program as part of a ‘Great Replacement’ conspiracy theory, highlighting growing fears within Trump’s base about the erosion of traditional American identity.

The debate has underscored some of the broader anxieties about the direction of Trump’s second term. 

During his first administration, Trump made significant cuts to the H-1B visa program, a move applauded by his anti-immigration allies, but his current stance remains unclear, leaving immigrant communities and tech industry leaders bracing for potential shifts in policy.

Critics warn that rolling back the program could harm U.S. competitiveness, particularly in sectors like technology and healthcare. 

However, MAGA supporters argue that limiting foreign labor would force companies to invest in training American workers.