Why Vivek Ramaswamy won't serve in Trump's Department of Government Efficiency
Vivek Ramaswamy, who sought the 2024 Republican nomination for president, has signaled plans to run for governor of Ohio.
Vivek Ramaswamy is no longer part of the department of government efficiency (DOGE) that President Donald Trump selected him to lead alongside billionaire Elon Musk, the White House announced on Monday.

Ramaswamy's exit from the Department of Government Efficiency was confirmed just hours after Trump took office on Monday.
Ramaswamy, who sought the 2024 Republican nomination for president, has signaled plans to run for governor of Ohio.
“Vivek Ramaswamy played a critical role in helping us create DOGE," Anna Kelly, a spokesperson for the commission, said in a statement. "He intends to run for elected office soon, which requires him to remain outside of DOGE, based on the structure that we announced today. We thank him immensely for his contributions over the last 2 months and expect him to play a vital role in making America great again.”
Who is Vivek Ramaswamy?
Ramaswamy, the son of Indian immigrants, earned hundreds of millions of dollars in hedge funds and pharmaceutical research - a career he built while graduating from Harvard University and Yale Law School. His approach to his presidential campaign mirrored his methods in securing investment, even when the drugs he advocated for never reached the market.
Trump's DOGE plan
Trump picked Musk and Ramaswamy to lead DOGE, a nongovernmental task force that Trump has assigned to find ways to fire federal workers, cut programs and slash federal regulations — all part of what the new president calls his “Save America” agenda for his second term.
Musk's involvement in particular has raised ethics concerns because SpaceX, the company he founded and led, has massive defense contracts and competes for business from NASA. His Tesla electric-car company and other business interests could also benefit from Trump decisions in office.
Ambitious efforts to reduce the size and scope of the federal government historically have run into resistance when the public is confronted with cuts to trusted programs that millions of Americans depend on for jobs, health care, military security and everyday needs.
One of the world’s wealthiest millennials, Ramaswamy made a fortune in biotech before turning his attention to politics. He rose to prominence on the right as a fierce critic of identity politics and programs that advance diversity, equity and inclusion.
He has positioned himself as a thought leader of Trump's populist “Make America Great Again” movement. He endorsed Trump in the GOP primary after finishing fourth in Iowa's leadoff caucuses.
