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The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has seen a significant shift in leadership following the departure of Vivek Ramaswamy, leaving Elon Musk to head the commission alone. This change was confirmed hours after President Donald Trump took office on Monday.
Vivek Ramaswamy Steps Down from DOGE
Vivek Ramaswamy, the biotech entrepreneur who had served as a co-leader of DOGE, is no longer part of the commission. The news comes as Ramaswamy, a native of Cincinnati, shifts his focus to his political aspirations. At 39 years old, he has signaled plans to run for governor of Ohio next year. While he had previously shown interest in running for the Senate seat vacated by Vice President JD Vance, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine appointed Lt. Gov. Jon Husted to the position instead.
“Vivek Ramaswamy played a critical role in helping us create DOGE,” said Anna Kelly, a spokesperson for the commission. “He intends to run for elected office soon, which requires him to remain outside of DOGE, based on the structure that we announced today. We thank him immensely for his contributions over the last 2 months and expect him to play a vital role in making America great again.”
Vivek Ramasway, Musk And Trump’s Vision for Government Reform
Ramaswamy’s departure leaves billionaire Elon Musk in charge of DOGE, the nongovernmental task force designed to identify areas for cost-cutting within the federal government. This includes efforts to eliminate federal jobs, reduce programs, and trim federal regulations—central components of Trump’s “Save America” agenda for his second term.
Trump initially selected both Musk and Ramaswamy to lead DOGE in hopes of achieving his ambitious goal of shrinking the size and scope of the federal government. Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, brings his extensive business experience to the task force, although his various companies, including Tesla, may stand to benefit from the policy changes pushed forward by the administration.
Ramaswamy’s Political Ascent
While Musk now heads the commission alone, the task of scaling back the federal government is no small feat. Historical attempts at reducing the size of government have faced substantial opposition, particularly when cuts to trusted programs impact citizens’ livelihoods, healthcare, national security, and daily services.
Ramaswamy, one of the world’s wealthiest millennials, made his fortune in the biotech industry before pivoting to politics. He has become a prominent figure on the political right, known for his outspoken criticism of identity politics and diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. Positioned as a thought leader in Trump’s populist “Make America Great Again” movement, Ramaswamy endorsed Trump in the GOP primary after finishing fourth in the Iowa caucuses.
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