Former President Donald Trump ramped up his attacks against entrepreneur and GOP challenger Vivek Ramaswamy on Monday ahead of the Iowa caucuses, telling Iowans a vote for Ramaswamy is a vote wasted.

“A VOTE FOR VIVEK IS A WASTED VOTE. I LIKE VIVEK, BUT HE PLAYED IT TOO ‘CUTE’ WITH US,” Trump posted to Truth Social.

Trump’s attacks against Ramaswamy gained more traction in the final days before Monday’s first-in-the-nation caucuses, and the former president has chastised his young challenger as a “sly” politician who is “not MAGA.”

“Vivek started his campaign as a great supporter, ‘the best President in generations,’ etc. Unfortunately, now all he does is disguise his support in the form of deceitful campaign tricks,” Trump posted to Truth Social on Saturday. “Very sly, but a vote for Vivek is a vote for the ‘other side’ — don’t get duped by this.”

Ramaswamy has not made the considerable effort to criticize Trump the same way he has with others seeking the GOP nomination, including former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL).

“I’ve defended Trump at every step & respect him immensely,” Ramaswamy posted to X after Trump’s latest chide on Monday.

“You won’t hear me attacking him. I’m asking for your vote tonight because I believe it’s the right thing for our country. We cannot walk into the other side’s trap & watch the puppet masters quietly trot Nikki into power.”

Although he has not directly attacked the former president, Ramaswamy often brings up the fact that he is a “fresh” candidate who is “not wounded.”

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In a recent video posted across social media, Ramaswamy tells a concerned Iowan that if she wants to save Trump, she needs to support him.

“If you want to save Trump, you vote for me,” Ramaswamy tells the woman. “I’m telling you that … you vote for Trump, you’re sending him to his own demise.”