Power struggle or political ambition? Vivek Ramaswamy bows out of DOGE

The newly formed Department of Government Efficiency, popularly known as DOGE, is now one leader down after biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy exited the advisory group. Soon after winning the 2024 US Presidential Elections, Trump named Ramaswamy as one of the heads of the department along with Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

The White House confirmed the news on Monday, hours after Trump’s oath-taking ceremony. The newly formed team said that Ramaswamy is quitting the project because he intends to run as the governor of Ohio. “Vivek Ramaswamy played a critical role in helping us create DOGE,” said Anna Kelly, a spokeswoman for the White House, adding, “We thank him immensely for his contributions over the last two months and expect him to play a vital role in making America great again!”

According to The New York Times, there has been a brewing friction between Ramaswamy and Trump’s aides, including Musk. As per the report, the billionaire has been sharply critical of Ramaswamy in private conversations. Despite the tussle, several allies of Trump did not expect Ramaswamy to jump ship before the Department even started operating.

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‘An unequal partnership’

A person familiar with the matter told The New York Times that Ramaswamy plans to announce his bid for governor of Ohio next week. But there is no authorised confirmation on this as of now. Many believe that soon after Trump announced the two billionaires to be co-leaders of the project, it was seen as an “unequal partnership”. Musk has a much greater amount of wealth and a higher profile. Not only this, Musk’s top Lieutenant Steve Davis was seen as the main person running the show.

However, Ramaswamy’s exit still came as a surprise since the biotech entrepreneur reportedly told his allies that he would not begin a bid in Ohio until much later in 2025. The source told NYT that Ramaswamy eventually came to the realisation that co-leading the efficiency effort and running for office at the same time was unworkable.

It is pertinent to note that the Governor’s seat in Ohio will be up for grabs in November 2026. Meanwhile, officials at the advisory group are expected to offer recommendations for reducing federal spending by July 4, 2026.

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Ramaswamy started vying for the Governor seat after the current Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted announced that they would fill the Senate seat being vacated by Vice President JD Vance. Interestingly, Ramaswamy was also a contender for the vacancy and Trump himself told him that he would be a good fit.

The Department of Government Efficiency is not an official government department, despite its name. While announcing the initiative, Trump maintained that the group would provide outside advice on how to cut spending and work closely with White House budget officials.

With inputs from agencies.