After co-founder Vivek Ramaswamy announced he’s running for Ohio governor, billionaire entrepreneur and technopreneur Elon Musk has taken full control of the Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE. This means he would solely be at the helm of the initiative, which was created under the Trump administration to make government more efficient.
According to reports, it was confirmed Monday that Ramaswamy would be leaving the company after a DOGE spokesperson, Anna Kelly, told the Associated Press:
“Vivek Ramaswamy played a critical role in helping us create DOGE. He intends to run for elected office soon, which requires him to remain outside of DOGE, based on the structure that we announced today.”
DOGE: From Efficiency Initiative to Crypto Meme Connection
The Department of Government Efficiency is part of Trump’s “Save America” agenda to reduce government waste, lower federal regulations, and reorganize federal agencies. While the initiative has no direct ties with cryptocurrency, its abbreviation, DOGE, became super popular since it’s the same as Dogecoin, one of the meme-based digital assets Musk has been supporting for years.
Musk is called the “Dogefather” and his support for Dogecoin has always moved the crypto market. Now that he’s leading DOGE, the conversations are happening again in the crypto space where some are speculating that the branding of this initiative was intentional.
Trump himself wore it on his sleeve by releasing a campaign shirt with Musk, Trump, and a Shiba Inu—Dogecoin’s mascot.
Leadership Under Fire
Now that Ramaswamy is out, Musk bears a full charge of DOGE. Initially, the initiative aimed to cut $2 trillion in government spending. However, reports say Musk recently lowered the bar to $1 trillion saying it might not be practically possible to do more.
Critics are wondering if DOGE can achieve anything. Unlike regular federal departments, DOGE is an initiative outside of the official government. It will rely on private expertise and Republican help in Congress to develop and push its recommendations.
DOGE’s advisory board includes Silicon Valley bigwigs like Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale and VC Marc Andreessen. This is how much this initiative relies on entrepreneurial and tech-driven solutions to fix inefficiencies at the federal level.
Adding to the effort, President Trump reportedly signed an executive order on to freeze civilian hiring across the executive branch. It tasks the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to develop a plan to shrink the federal workforce through efficiency and attrition, just like DOGE.
The executive order doesn’t mention DOGE but it would likely be part of any workforce reduction recommendations.
Trump has talked about his government reform vision as cutting costs and increasing efficiency and DOGE is set to be a big part of that. However, the untraditional nature of the initiative—the fact that it’s outside the federal bureaucracy—has raised questions about transparency and accountability.
Ramaswamy’s Political Pivot
Vivek Ramaswamy’s official departure from DOGE is pivotal for him. The biotech entrepreneur who wrote “Woke, Inc.” is now much more popular for his views on corporate America and free speech. He also fits into his broader goals of shaping public policy in his run for governor of Ohio.
A couple of questions have been raised if Musk is the right kind of leader for government reform with big ideas and fast rollouts.
The DOGE and Dogecoin meme has gotten mixed reactions. Some see it as a fun moment from Musk’s crypto enthusiasm but others see it as an undermining of the whole initiative.
Adding more fuel for that fire, on-chain data shows trading activity spiking every time Musk makes a public statement about DOGE, but no evidence of intent has been found.
DOGE future?
Since Musk is leading DOGE, there’s a lot of work to be done; most of that will be prioritizing:
Spending Reduction: With the $2 trillion target down to $1 trillion, Musk must navigate political and logistical hurdles to get savings to happen.
Crypto Perception Management: Managing the DOGE association with Dogecoin will be key to credibility.
Congressional Support: DOGE’s reliance on Republican allies in Congress means bipartisan buy-in is needed for real reform.
For Musk, it’s a chance to take his entrepreneurial skills and apply them to the public sector. Critics say it’s open season on Trump’s leadership since DOGE’s goals align with Trump’s overall policy agenda.
Conclusion
With Vivek Ramaswamy out and Elon Musk in as the only one in charge of the Department of Government Efficiency, things get interesting. The initiative itself has gotten praise and criticism for the big goals but the untraditional approach shows how the relationship between private sector innovation and government reform is evolving.
DOGE will now have to deliver results and navigate public perception and politics.
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FAQs
1. What is DOGE, or the Department of Government Efficiency?
DOGE is an initiative of President Trump under the umbrella of his “Save America” program, in collaboration with Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. Its major objectives are to reduce government waste and enhance its productivity through better federal operating efficiency.
2. Why did Vivek Ramaswamy leave DOGE?
Vivek Ramaswamy left for his gubernatorial campaign in Ohio. That left Elon Musk to be DOGE’s leader.
3. What will Elon Musk do at DOGE?
Musk is to oversee efforts to cut government spending by $1 trillion and implement efficiency measures.
4. Why is DOGE associated with Dogecoin?
Although DOGE is not related to cryptocurrency, its acronym has gained attention because of Musk’s well-known support for Dogecoin, a popular meme coin.
