Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy on Monday condemned a violent street brawl in downtown Cincinnati that went viral over the weekend, using the incident to call out what he described as failed public safety policies in Democrat-led cities.Sharing a post on X, Ramaswamy said he had spoken with one of the victims of the assault, a woman named Holly, whom he described as a single working mother. He criticised the lack of law enforcement presence during the Friday night incident.“It’s unconscionable that there were no police present in that area of Cincinnati on a Friday night, or even an ambulance to take her to the hospital. Hard-working Americans shouldn’t have to worry for their safety when they have a good time in our cities,” he wrote on X. He also noted that Holly told him no local or state officials had reached out to her as of Monday afternoon, aside from one police detective.“Leftists like to lecture about ‘systemic injustice’ while thugs turn our turn cities into war zones. I’m done with their excuses,” he added.Promising a tougher approach to crime if elected in 2026, Ramaswamy vowed, “As governor, I’ll make sure they’re behind bars, not running wild. Our cops will have the green light to restore order—no apologies. Holly appreciates the kind words and prayers from patriots across the country, and hopes that the publicity around her story ensures that local & state leaders clean up our failing cities.”
Who is Holly?
The violent brawl occurred early Saturday morning and was captured in disturbing footage that quickly spread online. The video shows a man being chased into the street, shoved to the ground, and beaten by a crowd. One individual body-slams him while others kick and stomp him.As the man tries to get up, a woman, later identified as Holly rushes to help, only to be punched twice in the face. She collapses to the pavement, hitting her head and bleeding from the mouth as the crowd continues to cheer.The clip has sparked outrage and renewed calls for better safety and policing in urban areas. Ramaswamy said Holly appreciated the support she received from people across the country and hopes the incident prompts local leaders to take serious action.Cincinnati Police chief Teresa Theetge announced on Monday that five people have been charged in connection with a violent street fight that broke out over the weekend in downtown Cincinnati. While the names of those charged have not been made public, Theetge said the department is using every available investigative method.Theetge expressed frustration over the lack of immediate public response, revealing that despite around 100 people being present, either involved in or watching the violence, with some even filming it, only one person called the police.Vice President JD Vance was among those who criticised the attack, saying he was appalled by footage showing “a grown man who sucker punched a middle-aged woman.”“That person ought to go to jail for a very long time — and frankly, he’s lucky there weren’t some better people around because they would’ve handled it themselves,” Vance said.Vance described the attackers as a “mob of lawless thugs” and called for harsh punishment. He said: “What I saw, and I haven’t seen the full context, but what I saw is a mob of lawless thugs beating up on an innocent person. The only way to destroy that street violence is to take the thugs who engaged in that violence and throw their asses in prison.”Other leaders, including Senator Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) and Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval, also condemned the violence, calling for justice and stronger community responsibility.
