Vivek Ramaswamy Says Trump Offered Him Cabinet Role, Reflects on DOGE Split with Elon Musk
Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy revealed in a new interview that President Donald Trump offered him a cabinet position after the 2024 election — but he ultimately opted for a temporary advisory role before launching his run for governor of Ohio.
Speaking on Pod Force One with Miranda Devine, Ramaswamy said the cabinet discussions were “serious,” though he wouldn’t name the specific department he was offered. Instead, he chose to help launch the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which was created by Trump to slash waste, target overregulation, and rein in the administrative state.
“There were a couple that were discussed,” Ramaswamy said of the potential cabinet offers. “But I was already set on running for governor of Ohio. For a period of time in the administration where it could be most helpful, that’s where my focus was.”
Trump had tapped both Ramaswamy and Elon Musk to co-lead DOGE just days after his re-election, with the two writing a joint op-ed in the Wall Street Journal outlining their vision to dismantle burdensome federal bureaucracy.
But by early January, Ramaswamy quietly exited DOGE and shifted his attention to the Buckeye State’s 2026 gubernatorial race, where he is now the clear frontrunner for the GOP nomination.
Philosophical Divide With Musk
While both Musk and Ramaswamy shared a desire to shake up the federal bureaucracy, Ramaswamy suggested on the podcast that their priorities diverged after the election.
“From my perspective, we got a few things we got to address in the country,” Ramaswamy explained. “One is the overgrown regulatory state — that can be addressed through executive power. And then we have an overgrown national debt problem — that needs to be addressed through legislation.”
After Ramaswamy’s departure, DOGE pivoted more heavily toward fiscal matters under Musk’s direction. Musk, who resigned from his White House post in late May, had repeatedly warned that America’s $2 trillion annual deficit was unsustainable and emphasized cost-cutting as DOGE’s top priority.
Ramaswamy didn’t criticize Musk directly but noted their differing views on DOGE’s mission. “He’s smart, obviously,” he said. “We just had different priorities.”
Looking Ahead to Ohio
Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur and former GOP presidential candidate, is now laser-focused on Ohio, where he has built strong support among grassroots conservatives and MAGA-aligned Republicans. According to the RealClearPolitics average, he leads the GOP primary field by double digits.
“One of my core things that I ran on for US president was taking down the overgrown regulatory state,” he said. “That is the wet blanket on our economy. It’s choking the country from its maximum potential.”
Ramaswamy called his time helping launch DOGE a “good” and “interesting” experience but made clear his future is in the heartland, not Washington.
“I continue to believe that is one of the areas where we can unlock real potential,” he said, referring to regulatory reform. “But for me, that fight continues — in Ohio.”