Re-runs of Friends breed 'laziness' and 'mediocrity' in US culture, 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. Trump advisor Vivek Ramaswamy has claimed repeats of TV shows like Friends have bred 'laziness' and 'mediocrity' Former GOP presidential hopeful Ramaswamy took 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 Ramaswamy ignited the controversy with a lengthy and provocative post on X 'More books, less TV. Ramaswamy was recently named co-chief of the Department of Government Efficiency alongside Elon Musk Vivek Ramaswamy, a former GOP presidential hopeful and Trump appointee, has been outspoken in his defense of the H-1B visa program which allows U.S. companies to hire highly skilled foreign workers Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who positioned herself as a moderate during the 2024 Republican primaries, offered a biting response Nikki Haley cast herself as a moderate Republican when she launched a primary campaign against Trump in the 2024 presidential cycle Ramaswamy's post and subsequent follow-ups drew immediate criticism from Trump supporters who back the president-elect's hardline immigration stance 'Trump’s election hopefully marks the beginning of a new golden era in America, but only if our culture fully wakes up. Trump allies Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy say Big Tech needs foreign workers because there aren't enough 'motivated' Americans to fill the jobs The debate has underscored some of the broader anxieties about the direction of Trump's second term.