Vivek Ramaswamy has officially announced that he will no longer serve as co-leader of President Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), responding to comments about his departure on social media.
Newsweek has contacted Trump's transition team and Ramaswamy for comment via email outside standard working hours.
Why It Matters
The entrepreneur's departure from DOGE places greater responsibility on billionaire Elon Musk, who was set to co-lead the department with Ramaswamy.
Musk's involvement in the department has previously been scrutinized over potential conflicts of interest stemming from his SpaceX and Tesla businesses, which benefit from federal contracts.
What To Know
On Monday, shortly after Trump's inauguration, Ramaswamy wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "It was my honor to help support the creation of DOGE. I'm confident that Elon & team will succeed in streamlining government."
Amid reports that the business owner may launch a gubernatorial campaign in Ohio, political commentators have linked his departure from DOGE to his potential plans to run for office. In his statement on Monday, Ramaswamy said, "I'll have more to say very soon about my future plans in Ohio."
Ramaswamy made the statement in response to a post by Taylor Popielarz, in which the Spectrum News national political reporter said, citing a source familiar with the matter, that Ramaswamy left "because he is announcing his run for governor of Ohio early next week and it became clear he couldn't campaign and lead DOGE at the same time."
The source who spoke to Popielarz added that Ramaswamy's relationship with Musk was still good and that "Vivek will be cheering on DOGE."
Earlier on Monday, Ramaswamy also shared a photo of himself and Musk with their hands clasped, writing in the caption, "A new dawn."
Trump's DOGE initiative seeks to streamline federal operations, dismantle bureaucracy and fire nonessential federal employees. However, the department's future is uncertain as it faces a lawsuit.
National Security Counselors, a public interest law firm, filed a lawsuit against DOGE moments after Trump returned to office, arguing that the department violates federal transparency rules.
The lawsuit requests that Musk and other DOGE leaders be barred from doing official business until the panel complies with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, adding that the White House should not be able to implement its recommendations.
What People Are Saying
Kel McClanahan, the executive director of National Security Counselors, previously told Newsweek in an emailed statement: "This is not about sour grapes. This is not people suing because they were not picked. This is people suing because nobody like them was picked, and as a result nobody will be in the room to make sure DOGE understands the critical perspectives they would provide."
Anna Kelly, a spokesperson for the Trump-Vance transition team, told Popielarz: "Vivek Ramaswamy played a critical role in helping us create DOGE. 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."
What Happens Next
Ramaswamy is expected to unveil his upcoming political plans early next week.
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