Vivek Ramaswamy will not join Trump’s DOGE commission

The Ministry of Government Efficiency The first thing to go was itself: it now belongs to a single leader.

Vivek Ramaswamy no longer part of the commission that President Donald Trump has championed, officials confirmed hours after the Republican took office Monday, and that leaves billionaire Elon Musk to lead the cost-cutting operation alone.

Ramaswamy, a biotechnology entrepreneur who was looking the GOP nomination for president in 2024announced his intention to run for governor of Ohio next year. A native of Cincinnati, Ramaswamy, 39, had expressed interest to Vice President J.D. Vance’s recently vacated Senate seat before Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine chooses Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted as Vance’s successor.

“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. »

Trump chose Musk and Ramaswamy to lead DOGE, a non-governmental task force that Trump charged with finding ways to fire federal employeescut programs and slash federal regulations — it’s all part of what the new president is calling his “Save America” ​​agenda for his second term.

Musk’s involvement in particular has raised ethical concerns because SpaceX, the company he founded and led, has huge defense contracts and competes for NASA business. His electric car company Tesla and other business interests could also benefit from Trump’s decisions in office.

Ambitious efforts to reduce the size and scope of the federal government have always been encounter resistance when the public faces cuts to trusted programs that millions of Americans depend on for jobs, health care, military security and everyday needs.

One of the richest millennialsRamaswamy made his fortune in biotechnology before turning to politics. He rose to prominence on the right as a fierce critic of identity politics and programs that promote diversity, equity and inclusion.

He has positioned himself as a thought leader in Trump’s populist “Make America Great Again” movement. He endorsed Trump in the GOP primary after finishing fourth in the early Iowa caucuses.

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Beaumont reported from Des Moines, Iowa, and Cooper from Phoenix.