New political chapter begins: Vivek Ramaswamy resigns from Trump’s DOGE, eyes Ohio governorship

Washington: In an official statement made by the White House on Monday, Vivek Ramaswamy officially resigned from his position within the Department of Government Efficiency, a key task force created by President Donald Trump for his "Save America" agenda. This resignation, which was confirmed mere hours after the inauguration of the president, officially closes the short but impactful chapter that Ramaswamy and billionaire Elon Musk spent together, leading the streamlining of the federal government operations.

Ramaswamy eyes governorship of Ohio

Ramaswamy, who earlier had expressed interest in becoming the Republican Party's nominee for the 2024 presidential race, has now declared his interest in becoming Ohio's governor. To do so, he has to step down from DOGE, according to Anna Kelly, a spokesperson for the commission. "Vivek Ramaswamy played a critical role in helping us create DOGE," Kelly said. "He plans to run for elected office soon, which necessitates him staying out of DOGE, given the framework that we unveiled today. We are deeply grateful for his efforts during the past two months and expect him to play a key role in making America great again."

Rise of Ramaswamy

Born to Indian immigrants, Ramaswamy graduated from Harvard University and Yale Law School before amassing a fortune in hedge funds and pharmaceutical research. His business ventures made him one of the wealthiest millennials globally, earning hundreds of millions of dollars. While some of the biotech drugs he advocated for never reached the market, his unconventional methods mirrored the entrepreneurial spirit that has defined his political strategies.

Trump's vision for DOGE

Trump appointed Ramaswamy and Musk to run DOGE, an independent task force focused on slashing federal regulations, eliminating inefficient federal employees, and axing programs. These goals are part of Trump's agenda for his second term in reducing the size and scope of the federal government. However, ethical concerns have surrounded Musk's role due to the defense contracts by his company, SpaceX, NASA, and how Tesla might gain from Trump's policies.

Problems facing DOGE

Such attempts are resisted especially whenever programs meant for jobs, healthcare, and security are in focus. The audacious agenda presented by DOGE has both sparked praise and rebuke as it tries to address the problem of fiscal efficiency coupled with the over-reliance of the general public on federalized programs.