Get Out Of Doge: How Musk Helped Eject Ramaswamy

Elon Musk has already achieved his first cut at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency: his co-leader Vivek Ramaswamy.

Musk, the tech tycoon and Donald Trump confidant, made it known that he wanted Ramaswamy out of DOGE in recent days, according to three people familiar with Musk’s preferences who, like others for this article, were granted anonymity to discuss them. An ill-received holiday rant on X by Ramaswamy about H-1B visas apparently hastened his demise.

Just 69 days after Trump announced the team, Ramaswamy is now leaving DOGE and planning to announce a run for Ohio governor next week. Musk’s ability to ice out Ramaswamy, who for a variety of reasons had irked some Republicans in Trump’s circle, is the latest sign of his influence in the incoming administration. And it presages an encore of all of the infighting that marked Trump’s first term.

Ramaswamy “just burned through the bridges and he finally burned Elon,” said a Republican strategist close to Trump advisers. "Everyone wants him out of Mar-a-Lago, out of D.C.”

One main reason for some Republicans’ frustration with Ramaswamy was a post he made on X during a discussion of H-1B visas. In late December, Ramaswamy criticized American culture, saying that tech companies hire foreign workers in part because of a mindset in the country that has “venerated mediocrity over excellence.”

“They wanted him out before the tweet — but kicked him to the curb when that came out,” said one of the three people familiar with his departure.

A person close to DOGE said Musk did not think it was feasible for him to campaign for office while working on DOGE.

In a statement, Trump transition spokesperson Anna Kelly praised Ramaswamy, saying he “played a critical role in helping us create DOGE” and that his plan to run for governor “requires him to remain outside of DOGE based on the structure that we announced today.”

Ramaswamy maintained to confidants as late as Saturday evening that he was actively involved in DOGE, saying he was at work writing executive orders, according to six people who had spoken with him. But a person familiar with the arrangement said he had done almost no DOGE-related work since early December.

As recently as last week, Ramaswamy was hoping to achieve some early wins at DOGE before leaving to pursue a gubernatorial bid.

Now Ramaswamy and his allies are laboring to put a positive spin on his departure, coming just as Trump takes office.

Ramaswamy declined to comment about perceived tensions with Musk.

A person familiar with Ramaswamy’s thinking said they are now on good terms and that “the reality is that it wasn’t possible” to run for governor and co-lead DOGE “both at once.”

Even Hill Republicans have joined the Ramaswamy bashing. A cheeky meme portraying Musk erasing Ramaswamy from history was privately shared by junior staff in House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office, a person familiar with the meme said. It depicted Musk as Josef Stalin and Ramaswamy as the chief of the Soviet secret police who was later executed and removed from photos.

A spokesperson for Johnson’s office denied the account.

Just last week, Ramaswamy was passed over by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine in his pick for Ohio’s Senate seat, after Ramaswamy mounted a late lobbying blitz for the seat.

At a rally Sunday, Trump talked about DOGE and did not indicate that any changes were imminent. He said, "We have [Musk] and Vivek and some great people working on a thing called costs.”

Ramaswamy attended Trump’s inauguration, where he spoke to Susie Wiles, Trump’s chief of staff.

On Monday morning, Ramaswamy posted a photo of himself with Musk shaking hands.

“A new dawn,” he wrote.

But he was already on his way out. That same day, a person close to Ramaswamy who was granted anonymity to speak freely confirmed Ramaswamy was leaving.