Vivek Ramaswamy Steps Down from DOGE Role
Vivek Ramaswamy, a former presidential candidate, has decided to leave his role as co-leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) just a few months after joining.
Ramaswamy announced his departure shortly after President Donald Trump started his second term. This leaves Elon Musk as the only leader of the group, which focuses on cutting government costs.
In a social media post on January 21, Ramaswamy said he was proud to help create DOGE and believed Musk and the team could succeed in making government more efficient. He didn’t share specific details about his next steps but promised to reveal more soon, especially about his future plans in Ohio. He also reiterated his support for Trump and his goal to "make America great again."
Sources say Ramaswamy is likely preparing to run for governor of Ohio. The current governor, Mike DeWine, will finish his second term in January 2027, and the election for the next governor will be in November 2026.
Anna Kelly, a DOGE official, confirmed Ramaswamy's decision to run for office, explaining that DOGE's rules prevent members from running for political office.
Ramaswamy’s exit follows reports of tension between him and Musk. Some say a December social media post by Ramaswamy, where he criticized American culture, upset Musk. Musk reportedly felt Ramaswamy couldn’t balance his political goals with his role at DOGE.
Meanwhile, DOGE has faced criticism for changing its budget-cutting targets. Initially, the group aimed to cut $2 trillion from the federal budget, but Musk later suggested a more modest $1 trillion goal. Critics, including tech journalist Kara Swisher, have questioned DOGE's ability to achieve meaningful results due to its lack of power to enforce these cuts.
