Vivek Ramaswamy wasn’t “radical” enough for Elon Musk, his short-lived partner in government efficiency, according to a new report from The New York Times. Shortly after he won re-election in November, President Donald Trump announced that Musk and Ramaswamy (a failed presidential candidate) would jointly lead an outside advisory panel dedicated to cutting government costs. The two began brainstorming the new task force with members of Trump’s transition team, and at first, were largely on the same page as they came up with ways to force out career civil servants and challenge legal norms. Both men welcomed litigation and assumed the Supreme Court—which Trump had stacked during his first term—would side with their effort. But soon Musk decided he wanted to bring the initiative inside the government so he could gain full access to the federal data and payment systems. But Ramaswamy was more focused on deregulation and continued to envision DOGE as operating outside the government. Musk constantly pushed the team to be more “radical,” prompting their split. Just a few hours after Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, Ramaswamy ditched the so-called “department” of government efficiency, and has since announced a run for governor of Ohio. Trump and Musk have both endorsed him.
