Vivek Ramaswamy has been reportedly removed from his position in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) by his collaborator, Elon Musk.
On Monday, Ramaswamy acknowledged his exit from DOGE following speculations about the 39-year-old’s departure that floated around D.C. over the weekend. “It has been a privilege to assist in the establishment of DOGE,” Ramaswamy wrote on X. “I have faith that Elon and his team will effectively streamline government functions. I’ll share more details shortly regarding my forthcoming endeavors in Ohio. Most significantly, we are fully committed to supporting President Trump in making America great again!”
In addition to announcing his withdrawal from DOGE to vie for the governorship of Ohio, Politico indicates that Musk is the catalyst for Ramaswamy’s departure.
Musk’s sentiments regarding Ramaswamy became evident recently, while a heated discussion about H-1B visas during the holidays ultimately sealed his fate, according to three sources familiar with the situation who spoke to Politico on the condition of anonymity.
At that moment, Ramaswamy defended H-1Bs, which provide visa opportunities for skilled professionals coming to the United States, by launching into a complex argument criticizing “American culture” for honoring “mediocrity over excellence,” while contending that a “society that idolizes the prom queen instead of the math olympiad champion” will “fail to produce the top engineers.”
Ramaswamy “essentially burned all his bridges and ultimately burned Elon,” remarked a Republican strategist close to President Donald Trump’s circle. “Everyone wants him out of Mar-a-Lago, out of D.C.,” they added.
An additional source divulged to Politico that “they aimed to remove [Ramaswamy] even before the [H-1B] tweet — but decided to dismiss him when that surfaced.”
In a statement given to Politico, spokesperson for Trump’s transition, Anna Kelly, praised Ramaswamy’s contributions to DOGE, emphasizing that he “played an essential part in aiding the formation of DOGE” and noted that his plans in Ohio “necessitate him stepping outside of DOGE according to the structure we announced today.” Ramaswamy declined Politico’s invitation for commentary regarding his alleged conflicts with Musk.
On Monday, Ramaswamy posted a photo featuring Musk on social media where they appeared to be shaking hands. “A new dawn,” he captioned the image alongside an emoji of the American flag.
