- Vivek Ramaswamy posted his first TikTok on September 14.
- His comments were immediately flooded with ridicule.
Vivek Ramaswamy joined TikTok and posted his first video on September 14, and was immediately met by "WitchTok" hexing him.
One comment on his original video concluded that Ramaswamy was "not prepared for the comment section," which was flooded with ridicule, jokes, and demanded he learn an NFL touchdown celebration dance called "The Griddy."
In response, Ramaswamy said he was "just getting started" and to "keep the comments flowing."
"We're ready, we face off with anybody, and I'm excited for it," he said.
Ramaswamy was one of the first candidates to announce a run for the GOP presidential nomination in 2024, behind former President Donald Trump and Nikki Haley. He is a regular face on Fox News where he's become known for his conservative, "anti-woke" stance.
In an Insider investigation published Friday, people who worked with him described him as paranoid, high-maintenance, and having an insistence on the air conditioning in his office being set at 64 degrees or below.
An anonymous witch on the platform, who goes by the name @witchycannamom, shared Ramaswamy's video, stitching it together with her own.
"Let me be the first to welcome you to WitchTok," she wrote, referring to the loose grouping of occult accounts on the platform.
The TikTok, which has been viewed over 300,000 times, shows @witchycannamom conducting a spell in which she burns a lemon and adds what she said were ingredients such as:
- Eye of newt, to bring strife.
- Stinging nettle and locust thorns for pain and discomfort.
- Poison hemlock for sadness.
- A tooth for sickness and pain.
- A spider to "weave a web of nightmares."
@witchycannamom @Vivek Ramaswamy you opened the gates #witchtok #hex #binding #vivekramaswamy #gop #voteblue ♬ The 6th Gate (Dance With the Devil) - Radio Edit - D-Devils
Witchcraft TikTokers have been cultivating a the popular WitchTok subculture for years. The hashtag #WitchTok, features videos claiming to teach spells, enchantments, and hexes.
A recent rise in witchcraft content on social media has contributed to the huge popularity of WitchTok, self-described witches previously told Insider. But this collective attitude also means inexperienced practitioners — often referred to by those in the community as "baby witches" — can be subjected to judgment from other witches who say they're only after money and virality, such as when they tried to "hex the moon."
Fellow witches responded to @witchycannamom's video, also welcoming Ramaswamy to WitchTok, and saying they would conduct their own hexes and spells.
Many responded with "So mote it be" — a variant of "so may it be" used by the group as a ritual saying.
Some with knowledge of witchcraft praised the ingredients used in the potion, saying "Vivek is in trouble."
"I'm over here cheering at every addition," one comment reads. Another said that "buddy is not going to be having a good time very soon."
It's unclear if hexing goes against TikTok's terms of service. The community guidelines state: "We do not allow any violent threats, incitement to violence, or promotion of criminal activities that may harm people, animals, or property."
Insider has reached out to TikTok and Ramaswamy for comment.