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Several reports indicated that Ramaswamy was departing DOGE, which he was to lead with Elon Musk, over friction with staff. However, Trump’s comments suggest otherwise.
Vivek Ramaswamy was appointed the co-lead of Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency. (Reuters)
Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy campaigned vociferously for US President-elect Donald Trump’s election campaign and was rewarded with his appointment as the co-head of the new ‘Department of Government Efficiency. However, it has now come to light that Ramaswamy may depart the new department he was supposed to lead with Tesla boss Elon Musk.
Ramaswamy’s energetic speeches advocating Trump’s hard-line policies struck a chord with many voters and attracted the attention of bigwigs like Musk. Trump said both billionaires will pave the way for his administration “to dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies” that are essential to his “Save America” movement.
Responding to the selection, Ramaswamy in November said, “We will not go gently” and withdrew himself from consideration from the pending Senate appointment in Ohio, which will be vacated by JD Vance once he takes up the post of Vice President.
However, in a major turn of events, reports indicated that Ramaswamy is now leaving the DOGE and applying for the Ohio Governor race after friction with the staff, which may upend the new department.
ALSO READ: The Rise Of Vivek Ramaswamy: From Successful Billionaire To Donald Trump’s Key Ally
What Did Trump Say On Vivek?
Trump, who is set to be sworn in as the 47th US President today, addressed a packed pre-inauguration rally in downtown Washington on Sunday, where he spoke about Ramaswamy.
Praising Musk as a “great man”, Trump said, “We have him, Vivek (Ramaswamy) and some great people working on a thing called COSTS. He’s got the credibility to do it too. We are going to do things that are really amazing.”
His remarks indicated that Vivek Ramaswamy is still a part of the department, although Trump did not mention DOGE by name. A section of netizens read his comments as signs that all is well within the DOGE camp, and blasted “liberal media”.
#BreakingNews: President Trump has confirmed thereby debunking CBS News and their “unnamed sources” about Vivek Ramaswamy no longer being apart of DOGE.This is nothing more than leftist media trying to create rift inside the party.
Pay no attention to them; they’re irrelevant. pic.twitter.com/CXbBPYhvH2
— Liberacrat™️ (@Liberacrat) January 20, 2025
“I completely agree with President Trump’s statement, Vivek Ramaswamy is a dedicated and loyal member of DOGE and we can’t let fake news divide us,” said a netizen. “Glad to hear that. Elon is out of his league when it comes to redrawing organizational charts. We need Vivek!”, another user said.
Ramaswamy made cultural issues central to his political brand, railing against what he views as “woke” policies being imposed on corporate, academic and government institutions. He and Trump largely avoided attacking each other during the campaign, and the latter praised Ramaswamy as a “great man” and promised a greater role for him in his administration.
ALSO READ: Parody Account Claims Vivek Ramaswamy Is Running For Ohio Governor, He Reacts
Why Is Ramaswamy Departing DOGE?
CBS News reported citing several sources that Ramaswamy is now expected to step away from the DOGE and intends to announce a campaign for Ohio Governor at the end of January. Ramaswamy’s departure comes amid friction between the DOGE staff and him, said the sources.
People close to Musk have privately sidelined Ramaswamy for weeks, expressing frustration with his lack of participation in essential tasks of the department. “Vivek has worn out his welcome,” one person close to Trump told CBS News.
The Indian-origin Republican leader also recently met with Ohio’s sitting governor Mike DeWine about the state’s Senate seat left vacant by Vance. However, DeWine announced on Friday that he is appointing his lieutenant governor to the post.
Sources also said Musk and Ramaswamy have not worked closely for a while. His potential exit could upend the DOGE, which aims to reduce government spending by up to $2 trillion by July 4, 2026, by which time his Ohio gubernatorial campaign will need to be underway, according to Politico.
Ramaswamy was also under fire for recently saying that American culture has prioritised “mediocrity over excellence for way too long” during the debate on immigration and called for a culture that focused on achievement over normalcy; excellence over mediocrity and hard work over laziness.
- Location :
Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
