The White House confirmed the change on Monday hours after President Donald Trump took office.
Businessman and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will not be part of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by X owner Elon Musk, a spokesperson confirmed.
“Vivek Ramaswamy played a critical role in helping us create DOGE,” Anna Kelly, a spokesperson for the commission, said in a statement. “He intends to run for elected office soon, which requires him to remain outside of DOGE, based on the structure that we announced today. We thank him immensely for his contributions over the last 2 months and expect him to play a vital role in making America great again.”
Trump had named both Ramaswamy and Musk to head DOGE, which has been billed as an advisory group that will launch a cost-cutting effort in the federal government. Over the past weekend, there were reports citing unnamed sources saying Ramaswamy would not be part of the initiative.
During his inaugural address on Monday, Trump announced he would create DOGE to eliminate waste in the federal government.
“To restore competence and effectiveness to our federal government, my administration will establish the brand new Department of Government Efficiency,” Trump said in his inaugural speech.
Soon after he was inaugurated, DOGE and the Trump administration were hit with at least four separate lawsuits from multiple groups. Some sought records between Musk, Ramaswamy, and government officials, while others sought to make sure it complies with federal government regulations.
“DOGE’s operations during the transition period were shrouded in secrecy,” reads a lawsuit filed by progressive group Public Citizen. “Media reporting indicates that DOGE took steps outside of public view to begin operating immediately after President Trump’s inauguration, and that DOGE will be embedded within the White House, OMB (Office of Management and Budget), and other federal agencies very soon.”
During a speech on Monday, Musk made a passing statement on DOGE, saying only that he wants to “bring DOGE to Mars” under the Trump administration. “I’m super fired up for the future,” he said. In a recent interview, Musk said that he hopes that DOGE can cut up to $2 trillion in federal spending.
