Elon Musk’s new government department up in arms as partner reportedly debates quitting
DOGE could be at risk after one of its major players drops out
Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency could be facing trouble only a few days after it's officially opened, as one of the agency's key partners is reportedly contemplating quitting.
While the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is largely known as Elon Musk's brainchild, then-president-elect Trump actually instructed that the private advisory agency would be led by both Musk and fellow billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy.
Ramaswamy made his fortune through entrepreneurial measures, having started pharmaceutical company Roviant Sciences, but he has attempted to forge his own career in politics prior to his role in DOGE.
He ran in opposition to Trump in the most recent Republican primaries, but was of course unsuccessful. However, upon joining up with Musk at DOGE the pair were tasked with a seemingly vital role in government.
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The department's mission was to slash federal spending and make America more 'efficient' as a result, and Musk has previously set a $2,000,000,000,000 spending cut target for DOGE before it expires in 2026.
However, if rumors are to be believe there might be a hurdle in the way of achieving this goal as Ramaswamy could be planning to leave DOGE already in order to pursue a bid to become Ohio governor, as reported by the Telegraph.
If Ramaswamy were to leave in favor of becoming the governor of his home state, that would leave Musk in sole charge of DOGE alongside a number of employees between the SpaceX Washington offices and the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in the White House.
With Musk proving to be largely the face of DOGE so far many are wondering how much this will actually change, but it does certainly put strain on the agency's aim to complete its goals before closure.
Another complication arises in the number of lawsuits facing the Department of Government Efficiency - most of which landed in Musk's lap only moments after President Trump's inauguration began.
While the richest man in the world has laughed these away if you go by his social media, they are something that the private advisory board will have to contend with or it'll otherwise face scrutiny - particularly in regard to any financial benefits Musk and his companies will gain from his role adjacent to government.
It has been reported that Ramaswamy communicated his desire to leave DOGE shortly after the election began so the agency will have had plenty of time to prepare for the likely eventuality, and many wonder if that's why Musk did reveal that the initial $2 trillion target was in fact unrealistic.