Musk takes solo helm of DOGE as Ramaswamy resigns over rift
Elon Musk will remain the sole head of the cabinet DOGE appointed by President Donald Trump. Following a divergence in the vision for the "Department of Government Efficiency," co-chair of DOGE Vivek Ramaswamy resigned from his position right after Trump was sworn in as president, American media reports.
The so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was designed to significantly reduce US federal budget expenditures. During the presidential campaign, Trump supporter Elon Musk spoke of cuts amounting to 2 trillion USD (2.9 trillion CAD), although experts clearly explained that this proposal was unrealistic.
Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy were to jointly lead DOGE on equal footing. However, surprising news about this matter has emerged from the United States.
Split under Trump: "Deep differences"
It turns out that right after Donald Trump's inauguration, Vivek Ramaswamy resigned from his work for DOGE. As individuals familiar with the situation told the "Washington Post," the split resulted from "deep philosophical differences over how the panel should operate." The newspaper cites six individuals who wished to remain anonymous in this matter.
Another individual familiar with the background of the situation told the "Wall Street Journal" that in recent weeks, the vision of DOGE had evolved more towards expenditure cuts, which Musk supported. Less emphasis was placed on regulatory and bureaucratic constraints, which Ramaswamy emphasized.
The decisive factor turned out to be the very operational framework of DOGE. In Ramaswamy’s vision, the "department" was to be an advisory body to the Trump administration, with wide-ranging powers to give opinions. However, the situation changed – Trump signed an executive order that integrated DOGE into the executive branch and changed its American name to "United States DOGE Service." The "WSJ" reports that this unit will be overseen by White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
– I don’t think Vivek would have signed up under any sense on paper he wouldn’t be co-lead – said an individual familiar with the background of the matter to the "WSJ."
Ramaswamy is also expected to run for governor of Ohio, and according to the law, he cannot pursue this position as a representative of the federal government. The 39-year-old Ramaswamy made his fortune in biotechnology before getting involved in American politics. In 2023, Forbes estimated his wealth at USD 630 million (CAD 905 million).
