Vivek Ramaswamy is expected to exit the upcoming department and pursue the Ohio governorship instead, multiple reports suggest
Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who was set to lead the upcoming Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) alongside Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, is expected to drop out, multiple media reports have suggested. Ramaswamy reportedly intends to announce a campaign to run for governor of Ohio instead.
Multiple sources confirmed Ramaswamy’s exit from the new agency, which is tasked by US President Donald Trump with reducing unnecessary federal spending, to CBS News on Sunday. Ramaswamy has allegedly shown a poor performance and a lack of participation in DOGE activities, eliciting the displeasure of Musk.
“Vivek has worn out his welcome,” a person close to Trump told the broadcaster.
According to a separate report by Politico, Ramaswamy is expected to launch a campaign for Ohio governor instead. He intends to make a formal announcement by the last week of January, the newspaper said, citing unnamed individuals familiar with the matter.
The decision was further accelerated by the fact that sitting Ohio Governor Mike DeWine opted to replace Vice President-elect JD Vance in the Senate with his own deputy Jon Husted instead of Ramaswamy, who was long-projected to get the seat, Politico suggested.
The DOGE will now effectively be concentrated fully in the hands of Musk, with “some in Trump’s world” viewing Ramaswamy’s gubernatorial campaign as a way to clear the path for the Tesla CEO.
“Elon basically runs the show,” an unnamed informal adviser to Trump told Politico. “Time is their biggest enemy. We’ll see.”
The concept of DOGE emerged last summer during Trump’s presidential campaign and was eventually fleshed out as a proposed presidential advisory commission. Despite its name, DOGE will not become a full-fledged federal executive department, the creation of which would have required the approval of Congress. The body aims to cut government spending by up to $2 trillion by July 2026.
