🎙️ Voice is AI-generated. Inconsistencies may occur.
Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy sparked debate this week by claiming American culture's reverence for mediocrity—citing Saved by the Bell's Zack Morris as an example, among others—hinders the nation's ability to "produce the best engineers."
However, the soon-to-be co-lead of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), alongside billionaire Elon Musk, overlooked key details about Morris, notably his standardize testing score and political accomplishments.
Newsweek has reached out to Ramaswamy for comment via email on Saturday.
Why It Matters
Ramaswamy, a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, drew a backlash from members of his own party after arguing in a lengthy post on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday that tech companies need foreign workers because Americans don't have a good enough work ethic as American culture "venerated mediocrity over excellence."
His reference to the fictional Saved by the Bell character Zack Morris prompted some critics of Ramaswamy's post to highlight Morris' intellect, noting he scored a 1502 on the SAT and later became governor of California.
What To Know
Ramaswamy's comments came the day after Musk posted on X, which he bought in October 2022, that there are not enough "super talented" and "super motivated" engineers in the United States.
The two top advisers to President-elect Donald Trump have spoken out about the benefits of foreign workers and the lack of a technical and motivated talent pool in the U.S., sparking outrage among many Make America Great Again (MAGA) supporters. Discussions about reforms to the H-1B visa program, which allows American companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupation, have intensified this week.
"The reason top tech companies often hire foreign-born & first-generation engineers over 'native' Americans isn't because of an innate American IQ deficit (a lazy & wrong explanation). A key part of it comes down to the c-word: culture," Ramaswamy wrote in his December 26 post.
He added: "A culture that venerates 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."
Saved by the Bell was a popular teen sitcom that first aired in 1989 and follows a group of Los Angeles-based high school friends. Morris, one of the main characters, received a 1502 on the SAT, which according to the College Board is in the 98th percentile of test takers. The test, used as part of a college applicant's admissions process, has a maximum score of 1600.
According to the show's Fandom page, Morris was accepted to Yale University but ultimately went to Cal U with his friends. In the 2020 reboot of the show, Morris is an attorney who then goes on to serve as the governor of California.
Screech Powers, whom Ramaswamy suggests Americans should celebrate over the more playful and charming Zack Morris, was considered the school nerd. However, Powers scored lower than Morris on the SAT, earning a 1220.
What People Are Saying
Adam Wren, Politico national correspondent, reshared Ramaswamy's post on Thursday and wrote, "Zack Morris scored a 1502 on the SAT." In a second post, he added, "Zack Morris got into Yale but opted for California University and eventually got into...politics, becoming the governor of California."
Chad Troutwine, co-founder of admissions consulting company Veritas Prep, wrote in an X post: "1502 wasn't possible on the SAT then. 1500? Sure. 1520? Yep. Only increments of ten."
David Brooks, an author and political and cultural columnist, wrote in an X post on Friday: "'More math tutoring, fewer sleepovers.' This line from Ramaswamy is pure ignorance. You want to have your kid do something cognitively demanding? Send them on a sleepover with a bunch of other 12 year olds."
What Happens Next
Trump will be inaugurated on January 20, after which the new administration will decide what, if any, changes will be made to the legal immigration process and the American education system.
Trump has previously talked about the prospects for legal immigration reform, suggesting that students who got an advanced degree deserved the opportunity of a green card.
He is unlikely to cut the specialized worker visa program as he voiced support for H-1B visas on Saturday.
"I've always liked the visas, I have always been in favor of the visas. That's why we have them," Trump told The New York Post in a phone interview on Saturday. "I have many H-1B visas on my properties. I've been a believer in H-1B. I have used it many times. It's a great program."
Update 12/28/24, 3:30 p.m. ET: This article has been updated to include Trump's comments on H-1B visas.
fairness meter
About the writer
Mandy Taheri is a Newsweek reporter based in Brooklyn. She joined Newsweek as a reporter in 2024. You can get ... Read more