Vivek Ramaswamy responds to Trump attacks ahead of Iowa caucuses: 'I took it in a light-hearted way'

GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy responded to former President Trump's attack against him on social media during a Fox News interview Monday ahead of the Iowa caucuses. 

"Why do you think former President Trump threw you under the bus over the weekend?" "Fox & Friends" host Steve Doocy asked Ramaswamy.

"Well, I didn't get thrown anywhere, but I think there might have been an attempt to do that," he responded. "I took it in a lighthearted way, but the truth is that people have to have their heads stuck in the snow not to see what's happening on the ground here. I know the mainstream media is ignoring it, but there has been a massive surge here late in the process."

Ramaswamy cited some of his endorsements, including former GOP lawmaker Steve King.

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"I think we're going to see a shock tonight," he said. 

Trump went after Ramaswamy on his social media platform, Truth Social, on Monday. 

"Vivek started his campaign as a great supporter, ‘the best President in generations,’ etc.," Trump wrote in a Saturday evening Truth Social post. "Unfortunately, now all he does is disguise his support in the form of deceitful campaign tricks. Very sly."

Trump said that Ramaswamy is "not MAGA" and encouraged his supporters to not get "duped." Ramawamy is the only major Republican candidate without prior officeholding experience, similar to how Trump stood out from the crowded 2016 GOP field at the time.

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Ramaswamy posted to X on Sunday and said he wasn't going to respond to Trump's post with "friendly fire."

"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," Ramaswamy wrote in a late Saturday X post.  

"Donald Trump was the greatest President of the 21st century, and I’m not going to criticize him in response to this late attack," the biotech multimillionaire continued. 

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Ramaswamy said he was "worried" for Trump and added, "I’m worried for our country. I’ve stood up against the persecutions against Trump, and I’ve defended him at every step."

Fox News' Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.