Vivek Ramaswamy has left the US Department of Government Efficiency, where he would serve under American billionaire Elon Musk during the Donald Trump administration.
The AP reported Monday that Ramaswamy will not be part of the administration, as he plans to run for governor of Ohio. This was confirmed hours after Trump took office in the White House.
“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 we announced today. We are immensely grateful for his contributions over the past 2 months and look forward to him playing a vital role in making America great again,” spokeswoman Anna Kelly said.
Trump created this department with the aim of eliminating government bureaucracy and “reducing the number of redundant regulations.” Trump's request has also been to cut wasteful spending and restructure federal agencies.
Trump had said that this new department would fulfill long-held Republican dreams and provide "advice and guidance from outside the government."
Elon Musk's role will be informal, allowing him to remain at the helm of electric car company Tesla, social network X and space travel company SpaceX.
