Special Poll
Former President Donald Trump and his campaign have altered their stance towards Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, recently branding him as a “fraud.” Trump warned his supporters against voting for the biotech entrepreneur, arguing that doing so would inadvertently benefit the opposition.
In a TruthSocial post, Trump urged his followers not to back Ramaswamy, claiming he is “not MAGA” and accusing him of using deceptive tactics. “Vivek started off praising me, calling me ‘the best President in generations,’ but now he’s resorting to deceitful campaign tricks,” Trump wrote. He emphasized that a vote for Ramaswamy equates to a vote for the ‘other side’, urging supporters to stay loyal to the MAGA movement.
Chris LaCivita, a senior advisor to Trump’s campaign, echoed similar sentiments on social media. Responding to a post by Ramaswamy, where he is seen with supporters wearing “Save Trump, Vote Vivek” t-shirts, LaCivita labeled Ramaswamy as “this campaign’s number one FRAUD,” asserting that Trump doesn’t need ‘saving’ and discrediting Ramaswamy’s support as fake.
Despite these accusations, Ramaswamy has consistently defended Trump throughout his 2024 presidential campaign. He has criticized other GOP candidates for not supporting Trump enough and even pledged to remove himself from the ballot in solidarity with Trump following the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision to bar Trump under the 14th Amendment.
Ramaswamy has expressed significant admiration for Trump, stating he would pardon him if elected and acknowledging Trump’s impact as the “best President of the 21st century.” He reaffirmed his support, saying, “I respect Trump immensely and have defended him against unjust persecutions, but we must recognize the reality that the system is determined to keep him from the White House. Our duty is to carry the America-First agenda forward.”
Currently, Ramaswamy holds about 7.6 percent support in Iowa, significantly trailing behind Trump’s 53.6 percent. Trump’s recent critique of Ramaswamy comes just before the latest Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa Poll, a critical indicator ahead of the Jan. 15 Iowa Caucuses.