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

An entrepreneur-turned-politician who wants to help lead Donald Trump’s cost-cutting campaign has claimed that reruns of TV shows such as Friends have bred ‘laziness’ and ‘mediocrity’.

In his bizarre attack, former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy also took aim at a host of other beloved ’90s sitcoms, making a point about “solving the problem” of what he believes is wrong in contemporary American culture.

In a lengthy post to

‘That doesn’t start at university, it starts YOUNG.

“A culture that celebrates the prom queen over the Math Olympiad champion, or the jock over the valedictorian, will not produce the best engineers.

“A culture that honors 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 science competitions on the weekend, fewer cartoons on Saturday mornings.

‘More books, less TV. Create more, chill less. More extracurricular activities, less “hanging out at the mall.”

Ramaswamy, who was recently appointed co-chief of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) along with Elon Musk, made waves on Thursday after suggesting that US tech companies prefer to hire foreigners because they have a better work ethic.

In his message, he expressed strong support for bringing “highly skilled” foreign workers to the US, even as MAGA voters and Trump himself have called for stricter immigration policies.

“The reason top tech companies often hire foreign-born and first-generation engineers instead of ‘native’ Americans is not because of an innate American IQ deficit (a lazy and wrong explanation),” Ramaswamy wrote.

“An important part of it comes down to the C-word: culture. Difficult questions require difficult answers, and if we are serious about solving the problem, we must face the TRUTH: Our American culture has honored mediocrity over excellence for far too long.”

He continued, “If you grow up striving for normalcy, then normalcy is what you will achieve.”

Ramaswamy further said that he remains hopeful for the future “only when our culture fully wakes up.”

He said, “This could be our Sputnik moment. We’ve woken up from our sleep before and we can do it again.

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

‘A culture that re-prioritizes performance over normality; excellence over mediocrity; nerdiness over conformity; hard work over laziness.

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

The program, which allows U.S. companies to hire highly qualified foreign workers, has become a lightning rod for controversy within the ranks of newly elected President Donald Trump.

However, not everyone within the party was happy to support Ramaswamy’s provocative views.

Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who positioned herself as a moderate during the 2024 Republican primaries, responded sharply.

“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 people want what we have. We need to invest and prioritize Americans, not foreign workers.”

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

“The Woodstock generation succeeded in developing space travel, the generation before it went to the moon,” he wrote.

“The basis of your message is that we all lived in misery until we were rescued by H-1Bs. Then why did everyone want to come here?’

Ramaswamy responded, “That version of America, which used to embody rampant exceptionalism, is exactly what we want to return to. That’s about culture, not about immigration policy.’

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

“Imagine how many more JD Vances there are,” Posobiec argued, referring to the MAGA-oriented 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 fear within Trump’s base about the erosion of traditional American identity.

The debate has underscored some of the broader concerns 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 position remains unclear, leaving immigrant communities and tech industry leaders bracing for potential policy shifts.

Critics warn that rolling back the program could harm U.S. competitiveness, especially in sectors such as technology and healthcare.

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