Vivek Ramaswamy expected to leave DOGE

Vivek Ramaswamy, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to co-lead Ministry of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with entrepreneur Elon Muskis expected to step down from the task force soon, CBS News has learned. Ramaswamy intends to announce a campaign for Ohio governor as soon as the end of January, multiple sources confirmed to CBS News.

Ramaswamy, 39, had no comment.

People close to Musk have been privately undercutting Ramaswamy for weeks, frustrated by his lack of participation in the heavy lifting, according to sources familiar with the internal dynamics. There has been friction between the incoming rank-and-file DOGE staff and Ramaswamy, the sources said, and Ramaswamy has been subtly urged to leave.

“Vivek has worn out his welcome,” said one person close to Trump.

Ramaswamy recently met with Ohio’s incumbent governor, Mike DeWine, about the state Senate seat left vacant by Vice President-elect JD Vance. But Friday d. DeWine announced he appoints his lieutenant governor to the post.

Ramaswamy, who was seeking the GOP nomination in 2024, was at Mar-a-Lago, the president’s estate in West Palm Beach, Florida, during the transition. Sources said he was seen one day at the bar with Musk, scrawling plans for DOGE on a napkin. But the pair haven’t worked closely together in a while, sources say.

Politico first reported that Ramaswamy could leave DOGE.

Ramaswamy has made cultural issues central to his political brand, railing against what he sees as “woke” policies being imposed on businesses, academia and public institutions. Even as Trump’s primary opponent, Ramaswamy was reluctant to cross him and quick to offer praise.

Despite its name, the Department of Government Efficiency is not expected to be a full-fledged federal agency. Trump has said it “will provide advice and guidance outside of government” and work with the White House and the Office of Management and Budget.

Its goal is to offer advice on slimming the federal bureaucracy, cutting federal spending and restructuring federal agencies, according to Trump, who ordered DOGE’s work to be completed by July 2026.

Before entering politics, Ramaswamy attended Yale Law School with Vance. He made millions as a hedge fund manager and by selling a stake in a biotech company he co-founded.

Ed O’Keefe and Shawna Mizelle contributed to this report.