Former President Trump and his campaign are changing their tune about fellow GOP candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, now calling him a “fraud” and claiming that a vote for the biotech entrepreneur will help the “other side.”
Trump wrote to his supporters in a Truth Social post Saturday that they should not support Ramaswamy because he is “not MAGA” and claimed he disguises his support for the former president “in the form of deceitful campaign tricks.”
“Vivek started his campaign as a great supporter, ‘the best President in generations,’ etc,” Trump said in a post Friday. “Unfortunately, now all he does is disguise his support in the form of deceitful campaign tricks. Very sly, but a vote for Vivek is a vote for the ‘other side’ — don’t get duped by this. Vote for ‘TRUMP,’ don’t waste your vote! Vivek is not MAGA. The Biden Indictments against his Political Opponent will never be allowed in this Country, they are already beginning to fall! MAGA!!!”
Chris LaCivita, Trump’s senior campaign adviser, shared a similar sentiment about the “Woke Inc.” author when responding to a Ramaswamy post where he is seen posing with six potential supporters wearing t-shirts with the slogan “Save Trump, Vote Vivek.”
In a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, LaCivita called Ramaswamy “this campaigns number one FRAUD,” adding that “Trump doesn’t need ‘saving’” and “If you support @realDonaldTrump, you sure as hell don’t vote for this FAKE.”
Ramaswamy, who until now has slipped away from attacks stemming from Trump and his campaign, has repeatedly defended the former president throughout his 2024 presidential run. He has even criticized other 2024 GOP opponents for insufficiently supporting Trump.
After Colorado’s Supreme Court barred Trump from the ballot under the 14th Amendment, Ramaswamy pledged to remove himself from the ballot and asked other Republican contenders to do the same thing.
He has offered repeated praise of the former president, even saying that he would pardon Trump if he wins the general election.
Trump declared Ramaswamy the winner of the fourth GOP debate that took place in Alabama in early December, saying that “Vivek WINS because he thinks l’m great.”
Ramaswamy doubled down on his support for Trump in Saturday comments.
“I respect the hell out of Trump. He’s the best President of the 21st century. I’ve defended him at every step against the unjust persecutions,” he told The Hill.
“But OPEN YOUR EYES to the hard TRUTH: this system will stop at nothing to keep this man away from the White House. Just because it’s wrong doesn’t mean it won’t happen & we owe it to our nation to take America-First forward.”
Ramaswamy has amassed around 7.6 percent of support in Iowa, far below Trump’s 53.6 percent according to polling averages from The Hill/Decision Desk HQ. Trump’s late-game attack on Ramaswamy comes hours before the release of a new Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa poll, the last one before the Iowa caucuses kick off on Jan. 15.
The Hill has reached out to Trump’s campaign for comment.
Updated at 7:10pm.