Vivek Ramaswamy, the biotech entrepreneur and 2024 presidential candidate, has made a bold proposal to raise the voting age to 25. In an op-ed published by the Daily Caller on Tuesday, Ramaswamy argued that young voters are too easily influenced by social media and woke corporations, and that they lack the maturity and wisdom to participate in democracy.

Ramaswamy cited scientific studies that show that the human brain is not fully developed until the mid-20s, and that young adults are more prone to impulsivity, risk-taking, and emotional instability. He also pointed out that young voters are more likely to support socialist policies and radical movements like Antifa and Black Lives Matter, which he said are undermining the foundations of America.

Ramaswamy claimed that raising the voting age would protect the rights and interests of older Americans, who have more life experience, knowledge, and stake in the future of the country. He also suggested that it would encourage young people to focus on education, work, and family formation, rather than politics and activism.

Ramaswamy’s proposal has sparked a fierce debate among conservatives and liberals alike. Some conservatives praised Ramaswamy for his courage and insight, while others criticized him for alienating a large segment of potential voters and violating the principle of equal representation. Liberals denounced Ramaswamy as an elitist and an authoritarian, who wants to disenfranchise millions of Americans and silence their voices.

Ramaswamy is not the first politician to propose raising the voting age. In 2019, Republican Congressman Paul Gosar introduced a bill to amend the Constitution to raise the voting age to 21. The bill did not receive any co-sponsors or hearings. In 2018, Republican Senator Ted Cruz joked that he would support raising the voting age to 25 if his Democratic opponent Beto O’Rourke won the youth vote.

Ramaswamy’s proposal is unlikely to gain much traction in Congress or among the public. According to a Gallup poll conducted in 2018, 84% of Americans oppose raising the voting age, while only 15% support it. The poll also found that younger Americans are more opposed to raising the voting age than older Americans.

Raising the voting age would also require a constitutional amendment, which is a difficult and lengthy process. The 26th Amendment, which lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 in 1971, was ratified by three-fourths of the states in less than four months. However, since then, no constitutional amendment has been successfully ratified.

Ramaswamy’s proposal may be more of a political stunt than a serious policy idea. Ramaswamy is running for president as a Republican in 2024, but he faces stiff competition from more established and popular candidates like Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Mike Pence, and Nikki Haley. Ramaswamy is currently polling at around 3% among Republican primary voters, according to a CBS poll released last week.

Ramaswamy may be hoping that his provocative proposal will generate attention and controversy, and help him stand out from the crowded field. Ramaswamy is known for his outspoken views on issues like Big Tech censorship, critical race theory, and stakeholder capitalism. He has written a bestselling book called Woke Inc., which exposes how corporations are using social justice rhetoric to advance their own interests.

Ramaswamy is also one of the wealthiest candidates in the race. He is the founder and former CEO of Roivant Sciences, a biotech company that develops drugs for rare diseases. He has an estimated net worth of $600 million, according to Forbes. Ramaswamy has said that he will self-fund his campaign and not accept any donations from special interests.