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Vivek Ramaswamy
Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Why did Vivek Ramaswamy ditch DOGE?

Well, that was quick.

The early days of an election cycle are always interesting. They’re typically dominated by a horde of presidential hopefuls, all puffed up and parroting on about how they’re the best fit for the country.

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Over the months that follow, this crowd of candidates slowly shrinks, until we’re left with just a few key figures. In 2024, among the last barnacles to lose their grip on the Republican hull was Vivek Ramaswamy, a former Donald Trump adversary turned ally.

In the months since he accepted that no Republican has a chance when faced with the cult of Donald Trump, Ramaswamy has been hard at work licking the boot. He tossed out all those criticisms of Trump as a “sore loser” and promptly became an avid supporter, and he was soon rewarded for his spinelessness. Ramaswamy was named co-head of the newly-minted Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) alongside Elon Musk, giving the pair of wealthy elites a shot at kneecapping government spending. It was a nice solid position that kept Ramaswamy close to Trump’s side while also allowing him to keep enough distance to separate himself from the president’s least-popular policies.

But then, just as Trump stepped into office and Ramaswamy’s new position was taking shape, he stepped away from DOGE. While tensions between him and Elon Musk were certainly a factor, there’s more to the decision than just clashing personalities. It seems the Ohio Republican changed his mind about joining Trump’s administration after all, and he’s already got his sights locked on the next rung in his political ladder.

Why did Vivek Ramaswamy back out of DOGE?

Ramaswamy was a popular candidate from the start, as he carefully channeled a distinctly Trump-ish energy into his campaign, while also elevating himself above some of the current president’s worst tendencies. It landed him in a lucrative position at the start of the campaign season, but Ramaswamy soon learned how firm a foothold his one-time opponent has in the Republican party.

So Ramaswamy dropped out of the race and became a Trump loyalist instead. He walked back previous criticisms, aligned himself with Trump’s goals, and soon had a shiny new position to show for it. We’ve always known that Ramaswamy is grooming himself to be the perfect presidential candidate, and his alliance with Trump was just another link in that chain.

His latest move still aligns with all those ambitions Ramaswamy has been pursuing from the start, its just less Trump-adjacent than it was before. With his departure from DOGE, Ramaswamy opens himself up to new avenues, and he’s got his sights locked on one in particular.

It seems Ramaswamy’s latest ambitions are centered around his state of origin and its incoming gubernatorial race. Following unending clashes with his would-be collaborator at DOGE, Ramaswamy is changing directions, and he’s got Trump at his back as he preps to launch his campaign for Ohio governor.

Ramaswamy plans to seek office in his home state, and might launch his campaign as early as late January, according to sources cited by NBC. His decision to leave DOGE is far more surprising, as it distances him from federal influence, but with the gubernatorial bid Ramaswamy puts himself in an excellent position for a future repeat of his presidential bid.


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Author
Image of Nahila Bonfiglio
Nahila Bonfiglio
Nahila carefully obsesses over all things geekdom and gaming, bringing her embarrassingly expansive expertise to the team at We Got This Covered. She is a Staff Writer and occasional Editor with a focus on comics, video games, and most importantly 'Lord of the Rings,' putting her Bachelors from the University of Texas at Austin to good use. Her work has been featured alongside the greats at NPR, the Daily Dot, and Nautilus Magazine.