Vivek Ramaswamy, a former Republican presidential candidate, has stepped down from the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) after a short tenure of 69 days. This departure signals a significant shift in President Donald Trump’s administration, with tech tycoon Elon Musk now the sole head of this government cost-reduction initiative.
Musk, a trusted advisor to Trump, had been pushing for Ramaswamy’s dismissal, according to three sources close to the matter. “Everyone wants him out of Mar-a-Lago, out of D.C.,” remarked a Republican strategist with ties to Trump’s advisors.
Ramaswamy’s December 2024 social media post on H-1B visas, in which he criticized American culture for “venerating mediocrity over excellence,” was the final straw that led to his removal. “They wanted him out before the tweet—but kicked him to the curb when that came out,” revealed a source familiar with the situation.
The tension between the co-leaders originated from contrasting visions for DOGE’s future. Musk favored a tech-centric approach to modernizing federal systems, while Ramaswamy pushed for wider constitutional and regulatory changes. According to several insiders, this ideological disagreement led to significant friction within the organization.
DOGE has undergone significant changes since its inception. Originally planned as an external advisory committee, it has been restructured into an internal White House department, superseding the U.S. Digital Service from the Obama administration. The reorganization subjects the department to new transparency and ethical rules while avoiding potential legal issues. Its updated mission centers on executing the President’s DOGE Agenda by modernizing Federal technology and software to enhance government efficiency and productivity.
The internal power struggle escalated in recent weeks. While Ramaswamy claimed he was drafting executive orders to six different associates as recently as Saturday evening, a source close to the situation disclosed that he had not conducted any DOGE-related work since early December.
Musk’s increasing influence has raised eyebrows among ethics watchdogs, mainly due to his wide-ranging business interests. His companies, including SpaceX and Tesla, could benefit from Trump’s policy decisions. Critics caution about a potential “burgeoning oligarchy of tech billionaires” in the administration and call for more scrutiny for possible conflicts of interest.
Ramaswamy’s departure coincides with his political aspirations in Ohio. After Ohio Governor Mike DeWine passed him over for a Senate seat appointment despite an aggressive lobbying campaign, Ramaswamy is set to announce his run for governor next week. If successful, he would join Nikki Haley and Bobby Jindal as the third Indian-American governor in U.S. history.
Despite his exit from DOGE, which resulted in losing Indian-American representation in the federal government, political pundits suggest he could still wield significant influence through state leadership.
The political ramifications have spread to Capitol Hill, where even Republican colleagues have distanced themselves from Ramaswamy.
A meme comparing Musk to Josef Stalin and Ramaswamy to a removed Soviet official was circulated among junior staff in House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office. A spokesperson later denied the claim. At a rally on Sunday, January 19, the night before his inauguration, Trump spoke about DOGE without mentioning the upcoming leadership change, stating, “We have [Musk] and Vivek and some great people working on a thing called costs.”
An insider close to DOGE stated campaign incompatibility as the official reason for the split, saying Musk did not think it possible for Ramaswamy to run for office while working on DOGE. Trump transition spokesperson Anna Kelly tried to cast the departure in a positive light, stating Ramaswamy “played a critical role in helping us create DOGE” and his run for governor would “require him to remain outside of DOGE based on the structure we announced today.”
The restructuring of DOGE mirrors the broader challenges tech executives face when navigating Washington’s political climate. The department’s transformation from an external advisory body to an in-house government entity underscores the complexities of applying private sector strategies to federal systems.
On Monday, January 20, 2025, in what seemed to be an effort to display unity, Ramaswamy posted a photo of himself shaking hands with Musk, captioned “A new dawn.” The same day, he attended Trump’s inauguration, conversing with Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles, even as his departure was being finalized.
