Martina Navratilova slams 'ignorant' Vivek Ramaswamy over controversial Republican's 'unelected federal bureaucrats' take

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova took biotech entrepreneur and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to task over his comments on unelected federal bureaucrats. Navratilova's sharp critique came after Ramaswamy made controversial remarks about the role of bureaucrats in the U.S. government.

Ramaswamy has been appointed to lead the newly proposed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) alongside Elon Musk in President-elect Donald Trump's administration. Known for his advocacy of limited government and free markets, Ramaswamy has been tasked with dismantling government bureaucracy, reducing spending, and restructuring federal agencies.

The controversy began on December 30, 2024, when U.S. Senator Mike Lee shared his thoughts on the one thing he would like to change about the Congress, writing:

"Congress should make laws. And never delegate that task to bureaucrats."

This caught the attention of Ramaswamy who shared the tweet, adding:

"Congress should make the laws, not bureaucrats, but that’s not how our government works today: unelected federal bureaucrats write 'rules' that have the same binding effect as laws, yet they can’t be voted out. That’s not democracy, it’s a technocratic kind of autocracy."

This statement sparked a backlash, with one X (formerly Twitter) user pointing out the irony of Ramaswamy's upcoming role as an unelected federal bureaucrat, writing:

"Vivek is literally about to be an unelected federal bureaucrat who has control over people’s lives despite nobody voting for him."

Navratilova joined the fray by sharing the user's tweet and writing:

"Quote the self-own by Vivek. Is he truly this ignorant???"

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Martina Navratilova criticizes Vivek Ramaswamy's stance on climate change

Martina Navratilova during the 2024 Laureus World Sports Awards press conference (Image source: Getty)

Martina Navratilova condemned Vivek Ramaswamy for dismissing climate change as a "hoax" during an August 2024 Republican primary debate.

Ramaswamy claimed global warming isn’t an existential threat and argued that poor climate policies cause more harm.

"I'm the only candidate on stage who isn't bought and paid for, so I can say this. Climate change is a hoax. The reality is more people are dying of bad climate change policies than they are of actual climate change," Ramaswamy said.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the 18-time Grand Slam singles champion called his remarks misleading and said he could not be trusted.

"Climate change is not a hoax and Vivek is helping it along since he is so full of hot air. Can’t believe one word that comes out of his mouth," Navratilova wrote.

In other news, Martina Navratilova mocked Vivek Ramaswamy's tennis abilities while also criticizing his political beliefs.