(Ken Silva, Headline USA) Vivek Ramaswamy has fallen out of favor with many Trump supporters in recent weeks over his controversial remarks criticizing American culture and calling for more immigration, and on Monday he confirmed that he’s stepping away from the Trump administration’s semi-public Department of Government Efficiency—Elon Musk’s venture that aims to cut up to $2 trillion in federal spending.
CBS first reported on Ramaswamy’s departure Sunday, reporting that the former GOP presidential candidate is preparing to run for governor of Ohio. Citing unnamed source, CBS reported that people close to Musk have been “undercutting Ramaswamy for weeks” because they’re “frustrated with his lack of participation in the heavy lifting.”
“Vivek has worn out his welcome,” one person close to Trump reportedly said.
Ramaswamy confirmed the report Monday, though he tried putting a happy face on the situation.
It was my honor to help support the creation of DOGE. I’m confident that Elon & team will succeed in streamlining government. I’ll have more to say very soon about my future plans in Ohio. Most importantly, we’re all-in to help President Trump make America great again! 🇺🇸 https://t.co/f1YFZm8X13
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) January 20, 2025
“It was my honor to help support the creation of DOGE. I’m confident that Elon & team will succeed in streamlining government,” he said on Twitter/X. “I’ll have more to say very soon about my future plans in Ohio. Most importantly, we’re all-in to help President Trump make America great again!”
Ramaswamy has come under fire in recent weeks for his vocal support of Elon Musk’s calls to import hundreds of thousands of foreign tech workers and engineers.
Ramaswamy criticized American culture over the holidays, saying U.S. workers are lazy compared to their foreign counterparts.
Ramaswamy, a former hedge fund manager and pharmaceutical executive, then listed what he perceives to be problems with American culture, from watching television instead of studying math, to being overly interested in sports.
He then called for a cultural shift, saying that it can be our “Sputnik moment”—when Russia shocked the U.S. by becoming the first country to successfully launch a satellite into space.
Ramaswamy’s message wasn’t received very well among right-wingers, and he’s been mostly silent on Twitter/X ever since—other than his recent binge of posting selfies.
Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/jd_cashless.
