Why Did Vivek Ramaswamy Quit DOGE In Trump 2.0? Report Points To Elon Musk, H-1B Visa Link

Last Updated:January 21, 2025, 18:26 IST

Vivek Ramaswamy is quitting the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to focus on his plans to run for Governor of Ohio in 2026, a formal announcement of which is awaited.

A file photo of Vivek Ramaswamy in Washington (PTI)

Vivek Ramaswamy is no longer part of the newly-established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), officials confirmed hours after US President Donald Trump took office Monday. The development comes as Ramaswamy prepares to run for the Governor of Ohio, thus leaving billionaire Elon Musk to run the cost-cutting operation alone.

Ramaswamy’s departure from DOGE was confirmed by the Indian-American entrepreneur-turned-politician in an X post, in which he wrote, “It was my honor to help support the creation of DOGE. I’m confident that Elon and his team will succeed in streamlining government."

“I’ll have more to say very soon about my future plans in Ohio. Most importantly, we’re all-in to help President Trump make America great again!" he added.

Ramaswamy also posted a picture with Elon Musk and captioned it “a new dawn".

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.

Clash Over H-1B Visa Stance (Rant)?

A report by Politico said that his rant on X on H-1B visas led to his exit. Even though in December it appeared that both Musk and Ramaswamy were backing the H-1B visa, while accepting the system was broken.

The Politico report said that people from Trump’s inner circle and some of the MAGA personalities around the US President were irked with Ramaswamy regarding the H-1B visa issue.

The report said the “rant" “hastened" his demise.

“Everyone wants him out of Mar-a-Lago, out of DC. He just burned through the bridges and he finally burned Elon," a Republican strategist close to Trump advisers told the news outlet.

In late December, Ramaswamy criticized American culture, claiming tech companies hire foreign workers partly due to a national mindset that “venerates mediocrity over excellence."

“They wanted him out before the tweet — but kicked him to the curb when that came out," another person familiar with the developments told the news outlet.

A DOGE insider told the news outlet that Musk considered it unfeasible for Ramaswamy to campaign for office while serving in the organization.

“Vivek Ramaswamy played a critical role in helping us create DOGE," AP quoted Anna Kelly, a spokesperson for the commission, as saying.

“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 two months and expect him to play a vital role in making America great again," the spokesperson said.

Though Ramaswamy is still mulling over the exact date to formally announce his Ohio Governor run, which is slated to be in 2026, his announcement may come as early as next week.

If elected, he would be the first Indian American Governor of Ohio.

The Indian American had an unsuccessful run during the Republican presidential primary. Later he endorsed Trump and quickly emerged as his close confidant.

So far only three Indian Americans have been elected as a governor of a US State. The first was by Bobby Jindal in Louisiana, followed by Nikki Haley in South Carolina. Both of them are from the Republican party.

THE DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY

Soon after his stunning victory in the November 2024 presidential election, Donald Trump announced to create DOGE and tasked Tesla owner Elon Musk, and Ramaswamy to head this new agency.

Later, the White House appreciated the role of Ramaswamy in the creation of DOGE.

DOGE, a nongovernmental task force, was assigned with the task of finding 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’s 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.

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