Indian-American GOP leader Vivek Ramaswamy said he will withdraw himself from consideration for the Ohio Senate seat after the announcement.
In a major post-election shakeup, US President-elect Donald Trump selected billionaires Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead his new ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ (D.O.G.E).
“I am pleased to announce that the great Elon Musk, working alongside American patriot Vivek Ramaswamy, will lead the Department of Government Efficiency (“DOGE”),” Trump stated on his Truth Social platform.
4o miniThis ambitious initiative aims to cut down wasteful expenditures, dismantle government bureaucracy and restructure federal agencies.
‘Won’t Go Gently’: Ramaswamy Reacts To His Selection
Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy also took to X to share his response after Trump picked him for the new department. Tagging Musk, Ramaswamy said, “We will not go gently.”The selection ended speculation about his role in the Trump administration after reports suggested that Trump had passed him over for the position of US Secretary of State in favor of Senator Marco Rubio.
Ramaswamy, 39, was a staunch backer of Trump during his 2024 campaign who vociferously advocated for his hard-line policies on the economy and immigration. Initially Trump’s rival in the GOP primaries., he largely avoided attacking the President-elect and became a powerful voice in Trump’s campaign after dropping his presidential bid.
Trump praised the young Indian-American businessman, describing him as “smart as hell” and suggested that he could become a part of the administration to oversee major government initiatives. “We can put him in charge of one of these big monsters and he’ll do a better job than anybody you can think of,” he said.
The million-dollar question was what role Ramaswamy would play in Trump 2.0, with media speculation suggesting that he might run for the Senate seat in Ohio, which Vice President-elect JD Vance will vacate after January.
“Yes, this means I’m withdrawing myself from consideration for the pending Senate appointment in Ohio. Whoever Governor DeWine appoints to JD’s seat has some big shoes to fill. I will help them however I can,” he said on X.
How The Department Will “Cut The Fat” In US Government?
This new department headed by Musk and Ramaswamy will provide advice and guidance from outside of the government and partner with the White House to drive large-scale structural reform, according to Trump’s statement.
Likening the ambitious initiative to the “Manhattan Project”, Trump said the department will also aim to “drive out the massive waste and fraud which exists throughout our annual $6.5 trillion dollars of government spending”.
Trump said he aims to liberate the economy and make the US government more accountable to the people, adding that this work would conclude by July 4, 2026. He said a smaller and more efficient government with less bureaucracy would be the “perfect gift” to the United States on the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
During the campaign trail, Trump had revealed his interest in seeking Musk’s help in cutting “some if the fat” in the government by streamlining government operations.
‘This Would Sent Shockwaves’: Musk Responds
Elon Musk also took to his platform to respond to his new role as head of the department, saying it would “send shockwaves through the system, and anyone involved in government waste”. The Tesla CEO was already expected for the position during Trump’s campaign trail.
He said that the Department of Government Efficiency would post all its actions online for maximum transparency. He also mentioned that the department would feature a leaderboard for “the most insanely dumb spending” of tax dollars, which he described as “extremely tragic and extremely entertaining.”
In his victory speech, Trump lauded Musk, describing him as a “new star”. Musk has endorsed the President-elect since the beginning of his campaign, donating over $100 million to Trump’s re-election battle and campaigning aggressively on X. It became even more evident that Musk would play a greater role in Trump 2.0 after he was reportedly asked to join a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
