Vivek Ramaswamy is leaving the Department of Government Efficiency before it even starts as rumors of a feud with Elon Musk are calling for some to drop him from the MAGA movement.
Ramaswamy, 39, a biotech entrepreneur who ran against Donald Trump in the Republican primaries before dropping out and endorsing him has reportedly set his sights on the 2026 governorship of Ohio.
An aide familiar with Ramaswamy’s thinking told DailyMail.com on Friday that he planned to deliver at DOGE and announce a bid for governor soon after.
However, recent weeks have suggested that Ramaswamy and Musk – named co-chairs of DOGE – are unlikely to be a good mix, after a social media post Ramaswamy made in support of Musk’s position on migrant visas sparked a huge conservative backlash.
Despite Ramaswamy posting a photo of Musk shaking hands on X Monday and calling it “a new dawn,” it appears that Musk was part of the effort to get him out of DOGE.
A Republican strategist told it Politics that Ramaswamy’s rant about the H-1B visa program burned his bridges with Musk.
“He just burned through the bridges and ended up burning Elon. Everybody wants him out of Mar-a-Lago, out of DC.”
Although Ramaswamy was previously unpopular in the MAGA world, the tweet – in which he expressed strong support for bringing “highly skilled” foreign workers to the US – was the last straw.
Vivek Ramaswamy (pictured at the inauguration with Susie Wiles, President Donald Trump’s chief of staff) leaves the Department of Government Efficiency before it even starts

Rumors of a feud with Elon Musk are calling for some to expel him from the MAGA movement (Photo: Musk claps as Trump delivers his inaugural address)
“They wanted him out before the tweet but kicked him to the curb when it came out,” an insider claimed.
Another DOGE ally said Musk also thought Ramaswamy would not be able to work for DOGE and run for governor.
One person familiar with the new agency claimed that Ramaswamy had not done any work for them since mid-December, although he would insist to his allies that he was still very much part of the operation.
A source from Ramaswamy agreed, claiming that the two billionaires are on good terms, but many felt that the move was coming.
“Vivek has worn out his welcome,” another Trump ally said CBS News last week.
Ramaswamy had even become a running joke among Hill staffers, with aides to House Speaker Mike Johnson reportedly sharing a crude meme of the former presidential candidate.
It reportedly featured Musk as Josef Stalin and Ramaswamy as the ultimately executed chief of the Soviet secret police.
The DOGE team confirmed Ramaswamy’s departure in a statement released on Monday.

Donald Trump had put both Ramaswamy and Musk in charge of DOGE

Despite Ramaswamy posting a photo of Musk shaking hands on X Monday and calling it “a new dawn,” it appears Musk was part of the effort to get him out of DOGE
“Vivek Ramaswamy played a critical role in the creation of DOGE,” spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement.
“He plans to run for elected office soon, which will require him to stay out of DOGE, based on the structure we announced today. We thank him immensely for his contributions over the past two months and expect him to play a critical role in making America great again.”
Ramaswamy’s downfall appears to have been hastened by the overzealous defense of Musk’s position last month.
Tesla’s CEO threatened to “go to war” with MAGA Republicans after defending visas for skilled foreigners against American-born workers in late December.
The billionaire has expressed his support for the H-1B visa, which allows highly skilled immigrants to work in the US for up to six years.
At the center of the storm was Ramaswamy, whose outspoken defense of the program drew backlash from both MAGA loyalists and high-profile Republicans.
“An important part of it comes down to the C-word: culture. Difficult questions require difficult answers, and if we are serious about solving the problem, we must face the TRUTH: Our American culture has honored mediocrity over excellence for far too long.”
He further criticized the country’s cultural priorities, stating that a society that celebrates “the prom queen over the Math Olympiad champion” and “the jock over the valedictorian” would inevitably fail to produce the world’s best engineers.

Ramaswamy’s downfall appears to have been hastened by last month’s overzealous defense of Musk’s position on the H-1B visa

Ramaswamy’s outspoken defense of the program drew backlash from both MAGA loyalists and high-profile Republicans
Ramaswamy bizarrely blamed a series of 1990s TV sitcoms for what he saw as a decline in America’s edge in science and technology.
“A culture that celebrates the prom queen over the Math Olympiad champion, or the jock over the valedictorian—a culture that reveres Cory from Boy Meets World or Zach & Slater over Screech in Saved by the Bell, or “Stefan” over Steve Urkel in Family Matters will not produce the best engineers,” he noted.
“If you grow up striving for normalcy, then normalcy is what you will achieve.”
Ramaswamy further said that he hopes that “our culture fully wakes up. A culture that re-prioritizes performance over normality; excellence over mediocrity; nerdiness over conformity; hard work over laziness.”
Ramaswamy’s comments did not go unnoticed by Trump and his ardent supporters.
His call for a cultural renaissance—one that prioritizes “excellence over mediocrity”—sparked a firestorm, with everyone from Nikki Haley to Laura Loomer denouncing Ramaswamy.
Trump ultimately sided with Musk, praising the use of visas to bring skilled foreign workers to the US. The issue has become a flashpoint among his conservative base.
‘I’ve always liked the visas, I’ve always been in favor of the visas. That’s why we have them,” Trump told the newspaper New York Post.

Ramaswamy bizarrely blamed a series of 1990s TV sitcoms for what he saw as a decline in America’s lead in science and technology

Ramaswamy stoked the controversy with a long and provocative post on X
Trump has even criticized the H-1B visas in the past, calling them “very bad” and “unfair” for American workers.
During his first term as president, Trump unveiled a “Hire American” policy that drove changes to the program to try to ensure the visas were awarded to the highest-paid or most skilled applicants.
Despite his criticism of these visas and efforts to restrict their use, he has used the visas at his companies in the past, something he acknowledged in his interview on Saturday.
“I have a lot of H-1B visas on my properties. I believed in H-1B. I have used it many times. It’s a great program,” Trump told the newspaper.
He did not appear to answer questions about whether he would seek changes to the number or use of the visas once he takes power.
Critics warn that rolling back the program could harm U.S. competitiveness, especially in sectors such as technology and healthcare.
However, MAGA supporters argue that limiting foreign workers would force companies to invest in training American workers.
Meanwhile, Ramaswamy all but confirmed on social media on Friday that he will run for governor.
He initially quoted Congresswoman Nancy Mace and Senator Marsha Blackburn as tweeting, endorsing the hypothetical bid and thanking them for their support.
He then quoted and tweeted a parody report announcing the run, clarifying that while it was a parody, it was “not a bad idea” for him to run for governor.
Ramaswamy was appointed by Trump to lead the new Department of Government Efficiency to help reduce government waste in Washington after running against Trump in the 2024 Republican primaries.
Governor Mike DeWine is term-limited, so the race will be wide open in 2026.
The current governor announced earlier Friday that he will appoint Ohio Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted to fill Vance’s vacant seat.
DeWine made the announcement in Ohio with Husted at his side after months of speculation about who he would pick to send to Washington to serve out the remainder of Vance’s term.
In his search for Vance’s replacement, DeWine also met with Ramaswamy, despite excluding himself from running for the vacancy last year.