Donald Trump’s vaunted but ill-defined new “Department of Government Efficiency” (Doge) program lost one of its leaders hours after the new president took office on Monday, as Vivek Ramaswamy s ‘is removed from the government’s cost-cutting task force, leaving Elon Musk solely in charge.
Ramaswamy’s departure comes as he considers a run for governor of Ohio. Trump chose Ramaswamy to lead Doge, a non-governmental organization, alongside Musk in November.
That leaves Musk, the world’s richest man, alone in charge, which will worry some given that he has said “at least” $2 trillion could be cut in federal spending. Musk had “made it clear that he wanted Ramaswamy out of DOGE in recent days,” Politico reported, a situation apparently sparked after the two men clashed over the tech industry’s ability to hire natural-born workers. stranger.
“Vivek Ramaswamy played an essential role in helping us create DOGE,” Anna Kelly, a spokesperson for the commission, said in a statement.
“He intends to run for office soon, which requires him to stay out of DOGE, based on the structure we announced today. We thank him immensely for his contributions over the past two months and hope that he will play a vital role in making America great again. »
Ramaswamy posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter and now owned by Musk: “It was my honor to help support the creation of Doge. I am confident that Elon and his team will succeed in streamlining government. I will have more to say very soon about my future plans in Ohio. Most importantly, we can all agree to help President Trump make America great again! »
The 39-year-old ran for president in 2024, but dropped out of the race after a disappointing performance in the Iowa caucuses. Ohio’s outgoing governor, Republican Mike DeWine, will be forced to resign in 2027 due to term limits, leaving Ramaswamy with an opportunity to revive his burgeoning political career.
Musk’s leadership of the Doge has raised ethical concerns. His company SpaceX has huge defense contracts with the US government, while Tesla, Musk’s electric car company, could also benefit from Trump’s decisions in office.
Doge was sued minutes after Trump’s inauguration, with a lawsuit alleging he violated federal transparency rules on disclosures, hiring and other practices.
Public interest law firm National Security Counselors said Doge qualifies to be considered a “federal advisory board,” a class of legal entities regulated to ensure the government receives transparent and balanced advice, but fails to have a “fairly balanced” representation, he continues. minutes of its meetings and be open to public review, as required by law.
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