Billionaire Elon Musk will remain the sole head of the Department for Government Efficiency (DOGE) of the Donald Trump administration after businessman Vivek Ramaswamy stepped down as co-chairman at the last minute, reports say. Associated Press.
Trump’s team officials confirmed a few hours after him he took the oath by the president of the United States that Ramaswamy, 39, is no longer part of the department aimed at cutting government spending, leaving Musk to handle that mission alone.
Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, has signaled his intention to run for governor of Ohio next year.
A native of Cincinnati, Ramaswamy had previously sought the Senate seat vacated by the vice president. JD Vancebut Ohio Governor Mike DeWine later named his deputy Jon Husted as Vance’s successor.
“Vivek Ramaswamy was instrumental in the creation of DOGE,” DOGE spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement. “He intends to run for public office soon, which requires him to remain outside the DOGE, according to the structure announced today. We thank him immensely for his contributions over the past two months and look forward to him playing a vital role in the effort to make America great again,” he added.
Cinema this Vivek Ramaswamy
Trump ia ales Musk and Ramaswamy to lead DOGE, an informal advisory department tasked with finding ways to lay off federal employees, cut government programs and eliminate federal regulations — all part of what the new president calls the “Save America” for a second term. .
Ramaswamy made his fortune in biotechnology before turning his attention to politics. He became known among conservatives as a vehement critic of identity politics and programs that promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
After finishing fourth in the Iowa caucuses for the Republican presidential nomination, he withdrew from the race and expressed his support for Trump in the Republican primary. Since then, Ramaswamy has positioned himself as an opinion leader of Trump’s populist “Make America Great Again” movement.
Politico writes that Musk gave Ramaswamy wind of DOGE
Political writes, citing 3 separate sources familiar with the preferences of Elon Musk, who is the head of Tesla and SpaceX who finally unseated Ramaswamy as DOGE co-chairman after causing further controversy among Trump’s Republican base.
“Ramaswamy just burned all the bridges and eventually burned Elon,” said one Republican strategist close to Trump’s advisers. “Everybody wants to see him leave Mar-a-Lago, Washington,” he added.
One of the main reasons for the frustration of some Republicans with Ramaswamy was a video message that he shared in the social network “X” of comments that he made during a discussion on H-1B visas. These visas allow companies to attract employees with a high level of qualification, being mainly used by technology companies to hire engineers from abroad.
In the controversial video, Ramaswamy criticized American work culture and ethics, saying tech companies hire foreign workers in part because of a mentality in the United States that “reveres mediocrity over excellence.” .
“They had him fired before that tweet, but they kicked him in the ass after (the message) came out,” said one of three people familiar with his departure from DOGE.
A person close to the department said Musk did not think it was feasible for Ramaswamy to live while working for DOGE.
The businessman wants to run for political office
Six people close to Ramaswamy told Politico on condition of anonymity that they said until Saturday night that he was actively involved in DOGE and was working on drafting executive orders.
However, a person familiar with the deal said Ramaswamy had done almost no DOGE-related activity since early December.
According to political sources, Ramaswamy hoped to achieve some early achievements under DOGE before leaving to pursue his bid for governor of Ohio.
“Now, Ramaswamy and his allies are scrambling to recast his departure in a positive light as Trump takes office,” Politico concludes.
DOGE is organized as an advisory committee to Trump’s cabinet, not formally part of his cabinet. This unusual agreement allows Elon Musk to remain at the head of his companies without being in a legal conflict of interest under US law.
