Trump taps Vivek Ramaswamy to lead new initiative with Elon Musk

President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Vivek Ramaswamy, a former presidential candidate and Ohio native, to help lead a new initiative aimed at slashing government spending.
Ramaswamy will oversee the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, with Tesla and X CEO Elon Musk, Trump said in a statement Tuesday. He said the department will advise the White House and Office of Budget and Management on ways to make the government more efficient and “drive large-scale structural reform.”
Trump said their work will conclude by July 4, 2026, and suggested it could become the “‘Manhattan Project’ of our time.” The size and scope of DOGE − an acronym that also refers to a form of cryptocurrency − remains unclear.
“I look forward to Elon and Vivek making changes to the federal bureaucracy with an eye on efficiency and, at the same time, making life better for all Americans,” Trump said. “Importantly, we will drive out the massive waste and fraud which exists throughout our annual $6.5 trillion of government spending.”
Ramaswamy is a suburban Columbus resident who grew up in the Cincinnati area. After graduating from Harvard and Yale Law School − where he studied with Vice President-elect JD Vance − Ramaswamy founded a pharmaceutical company and asset management firm. He’s also the author of several books including “Woke, Inc.,” which criticizes identity politics in corporate America.
Ramaswamy mounted an unsuccessful bid against Trump during the 2024 GOP primary, but he cemented himself as a key ally of the president-elect after he dropped out of the race. On the campaign trail, he called for shutting down the Department of Education, FBI and other government agencies.
Since then, many observers have cast the 39-year-old as instrumental to the Republican Party’s future. Ramaswamy had several job prospects before him, including a potential Senate appointment to replace Vance and bid for Ohio governor in 2026.
“And yes, this means I’m withdrawing myself from consideration for the pending Senate appointment in Ohio,” Ramaswamy posted on X Tuesday. “Whoever Gov. DeWine appoints to JD’s seat has some big shoes to fill. I will help them however I can.”