Trump turned on a political opponent, then they endorsed him

Donald Trump has a talent for taking down his political opponents with his verbal attacks and the run-up to the 2024 primary elections saw the former president target most of the challengers that opposed him. But there was an exception. 

Vivek Ramaswamy never bore the brunt of Trump’s verbal assaults and it appeared that the former president may have even thought highly of Ramaswamy throughout the early portion of the primary season. However, that is all over now. 

“Though Mr. Trump has gleefully mocked his opponents in the race on social media, he has held his fire against Mr. Ramaswamy and even praised him as a loyal supporter,” wrote the New York Times about Trump’s former attitude. 

Trump finally turned on Ramaswamy for the first time since Vivek tossed his name into the race to become the 2024 Republican Party presidential nominee. But what did the former president say and why did he do it?

Before Ramaswamy lost in the Iowa caucuses and suspended his campaign, the former president went to town on him for his alleged lack of loyalty and the apparent deceitful campaign tactics he was using to win voters in the state. 

Trump took to social media just days before the Iowa Caucus to let his supporters know that a vote for Ramaswamy in Iowa was a vote for someone who wasn’t ‘MAGA’. Trump unloaded and told supporters not to waste their vote on him. 

The former president began his social media diatribe by noting that Ramaswamy started his campaign as a “great supporter” of “the best president in generations” but then wrote that Vivek was using deceitful campaign tricks to win votes. 

“Unfortunately, now all he does is disguise his support in the form of deceitful campaign tricks,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account on January 13th. “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!!!” Trump added about Ramaswamy. 

The former president’s words would likely have come as a shock to many since he had previously joked about giving Ramaswamy a job following the praise that the budding Republican had heaped on Trump according to Rolling Stone. 

However, Trump’s turnabout might have been the result of Ramaswamy’s own postings on social media according to Rolling Stone postings which were meant to drum up support in Iowa by tapping into Trump’s supporters in the state with a promise to save him. 

On January 13th, Ramaswamy reposted an image on Twitter of himself with supporters wearing black shirts with Trump’s mugshot paired with a very interesting statement that read: “Save Trump, Vote Vivek.”

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons @VivekGRamaswamy

“It’s clear what needs to happen in Iowa. If you want to save Donald Trump from the inevitable, you vote for Vivek.” Ramaswamy wrote. However, it is this type of support that may have been what set off the former president online. 

The New York Times reported that Trump’s changing strategy with Ramaswamy may be based on the calculation that the presidential hopeful has been pulling a small portion of support away from him in Iowa. 

Within hours of Ramaswamy’s posting, the former president launched his attack on Ramaswamy, one which the budding politician likely didn’t see coming based on how he responded to what the former president said about him. 

“Yes, I saw President Trump’s Truth Social post. It’s an unfortunate move by his campaign advisors, I don’t think friendly fire is helpful. Donald Trump was the greatest President of the 21st century, and I’m not going to criticize him in response to this late attack,” Ramaswamy wrote on Twitter. 

Ramaswamy went on to write that he was worried for Trump and worried for the country, claiming that the “system” would do everything to prevent Trump from ever making it to the White House before reminding voters of all he’s done to help the former president. 

Despite Trump's turnabout, Ramaswamy still endorsed the former president after he suspended his campaign while Trump seemed to have a change of heart on Ramaswamy, saying in his Iowa victory speech: "I also want to congratulate Vivek, because he did a h*** of a job."