Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy confirmed on Monday he will not serve on President Trump’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) commission, leaving Tesla CEO Elon Musk to singularly lead the cost-efficiency group.
“It was my honor to help support the creation of DOGE,” Ramaswamy wrote on X on Monday night. “I’m confident that Elon & team will succeed in streamlining government,” he wrote. “I’ll have more to say very soon about my future plans in Ohio. “Most importantly, we’re all-in to help President Trump makes America great again!”
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Ramaswamy’s remarks were part of a repost of a statement by a DOGE commission’s spokesperson, Anna Kelly, who told outlets he “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 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,” Kelly added, according to an Associated Press report.
Trump tapped Musk and Ramaswamy to co-lead DOGE shortly after his reelection last year, promising to cut down on federal spending and slash federal jobs that the nongovernmental task force deems unnecessary.
The Hill reported last week that Ramaswamy plans to run for governor of Ohio, raising questions about his involvement with the cost-cutting commission.
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Musk on Monday said he is planning to “work his a** off” with regards to DOGE, though his role has raised conflict of interest concerns due to Tesla and SpaceX’s contracts with the federal government.
Trump’s transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Musk and Ramaswamy first traveled to Capitol Hill last month to discuss DOGE’s goals with lawmakers.
Updated at 6:44 p.m. EST
