Vivek Ramaswamy exits Trump’s DOGE to run for Governor of Ohio

Vivek Ramaswamy has departed from Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The entrepreneur has left the position at DOGE to run for governor of Ohio.

According to a person close to Ramaswamy, who was granted anonymity to speak freely, the politician will launch a campaign for governor early next week. Multiple sources confirmed to CBS News that the entrepreneur’s exit was due to his “lack of participation in the heavy lifting” at DOGE.

Ramaswamy leaves DOGE amid frictions between him and staff

🚨BREAKING: Vivek Ramaswamy Out At DOGE

Sources say he 'didn't do the heavy lifting, created friction with others, and wore out his welcome.'

He sounds like the typical H-1B after all! 🤣 pic.twitter.com/uKNedQkoED

— Sam Parker 🇺🇸🧯 (@BasedSamParker) January 19, 2025

After Trump’s inauguration today, DOGE is one of the projects he is pushing for in his second term. The 47th U.S. president had planned for the project to reduce government spending by up to $2 trillion by July 4, 2026. Ramaswamy was tasked with leading Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency alongside tech entrepreneur Elon Musk.

Jennifer Jacobs reported earlier today, before Trump’s inauguration, that a source confirmed there had been friction between “rank and file” DOGE staff and Ramaswamy. A source familiar with the matter also told Jacobs that Ramaswamy had been subtly encouraged to exit as co-lead at DOGE.

“It became increasingly clear over the last week that pursuing the governor’s race and running DOGE was not compatible. He’s leaving on good terms with Trump, Elon and the team.”

-An anonymous source familiar with the matter spoke to NBC News.

To date, DOGE has been secretive and has conducted most of its operations over Signal, the encrypted messaging app, and inside SpaceX’s Washington offices. A person familiar with the DOGE matter revealed that multiple executive orders related to its purview were expected in the first week of the Trump administration. He also said that the executive orders will include one that deals with government contracts and one that assigns how the DOGE workforce is embedded throughout the government.

Trump also maintained that DOGE would not be a fully-fledged federal agency. The president said that despite the project’s name, it would only provide advice and guidance from outside the government.

Politico first reported on January 19 that Ramaswamy could step down from DOGE before launching a bid for governor. The report also highlighted that a person familiar with the transition confirmed that Ramaswamy had informed members of the transition that he planned to run for governor.

This morning, the biotech entrepreneur posted a photo of himself with Musk on X, captioned “A new dawn.”

Ramaswamy seeks to run for governor of Ohio

The politician challenged Trump for the Republican presidential nomination last year, but he became an ally and endorsed Trump after ending his bid in January. Ramaswamy revealed that he put his Ohio political ambitions on hold to help lead the DOGE project with Elon.

Ramaswamy changed his plans on Friday after Gov. Mike DeWine appointed Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, another Republican eyeing the governorship, to the Senate seat. The biotech entrepreneur was eyeing the senate seat recently vacated by Vice President-elect JD Vance. Ramaswamy plans to vie for the governor seat with Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and state Treasurer Robert Sprague.

Yost’s team revealed that Ohio AG had recruited Justin Clark, a veteran of Trump’s campaigns in his first administration, to be the general consultant for his soon-to-launch bid for governor. A Yost’s spokesperson and senior adviser also acknowledged that Justin was nationally recognized for winning some of the most hotly contested bids for governor. Yost also wrote on Friday night that as Ohio’s next governor, he will work with President Trump to advance his America First Agenda.

Sprague also filed paperwork on Friday with the Ohio Secretary of State, which revealed his plans to seek governorship. Sprague posted that he would keep fighting to reform a broken system and “make Ohio the Midwest’s economic powerhouse.” He plans to seek the governorship. He posted that he will keep fighting to reform a broken system

As Ramaswamy eyes for the governor seat, he has written two books exploring American politics, including “Woke, Inc.: Inside Corporate America’s Social Justice Scam” and “Nation of Victims: Identity Politics, the Death of Merit, and the Path Back to Excellence.”

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