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Ramaswamy was tapped by Donald Trump to lead the DOGE with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, but his departure fuelled rumours of a rift with the tech billionaire.
Reports of a “rift” between Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk emerged after the former left DOGE.
Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy on Monday officially announced his candidacy for the Ohio Governor race in 2026, earning an endorsement from US President Donald Trump.
However, what was particularly striking was tech billionaire Elon Musk’s endorsement of Ramaswamy, as reports of a rift between the two emerged following the latter’s departure from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Taking to X, Musk endorsed Ramaswamy for the 2026 gubernatorial race. “Good luck, you have my full endorsement!” the Tesla CEO said. In response, Ramaswamy tweeted, “Thank you Elon. Let’s roll!”
Ramaswamy was tapped by Trump to lead the DOGE with Tesla CEO Elon Musk after the US presidential elections. However, his involvement with the cost-cutting department became uncertain as Trump’s inauguration neared.
Elon Musk-Vivek Ramaswamy ‘Rift’
Multiple reports suggested Ramaswamy’s differences with Elon Musk caused his departure from DOGE. Musk made it known that he wanted Ramaswamy out of DOGE in recent days due to “differences”, Politico reported citing three people close to the billionaire.
Additionally, the Indian-American businessman sparked controversy during Christmas with social media posts seemingly criticising American cultural values and clashing with other hardline Republicans over H-1B visas for foreign workers.
In December last year, the Indian-origin leader had said that the tech companies in the US hire foreign workers as the country has “venerated mediocrity over excellence”. Trump, Musk and Ramaswamy had backed the H-1B visa, while accepting that the system was broken.
According to the Politico report, Ramaswamy’s “rant” hastened his exit from the department. “Ramaswamy just burned through the bridges and he finally burned Elon. Everyone wants him out of Mar-a-Lago, out of DC,” a Republican strategist close to Trump advisors said.
“They wanted him out before the tweet — but kicked him to the curb when that came out,” one of the three people familiar with his exit said. A DOGE insider told the news outlet that Musk considered it unfeasible for Ramaswamy to campaign for office while serving in the organisation.
What Did Ramaswamy Say On ‘Beef’ With Musk?
However, Ramaswamy later denied that Elon Musk had fired him from DOGE and said while they had “different and complementary approaches” to running DOGE, they were both “on the same page”.
“When you are talking about a constitutional revival, it’s not just done through the federal government. It’s done through federalism, where states also lead the way. There’s no better person having a technological and digital approach than Elon Musk to lead,” he said.
Ramaswamy confirmed his plans to run for Ohio governor on Monday. So far only three Indian Americans have been elected as a governor of a US State. The first was by Bobby Jindal in Louisiana, followed by Nikki Haley in South Carolina. Both of them are from the Republican party.
- Location :
Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
