Vivek Ramaswamy responded to reports that he was “pushed out” of his co-leadership role in the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) alongside Elon Musk during an appearance on The Breakfast Club.
Host Charlamagne expressed skepticism about Ramaswamy’s explanation, saying, “I don’t believe you.”
Ramaswamy, however, maintained that his departure was a mutual decision. “It was really just an actual mutual decision,” he insisted, adding that there is “no better person” than Musk to lead DOGE.
🚨NEW: Charlamagne to Vivek Ramaswamy after he explained his reason for leaving DOGE:
“I hear you, Vivek. I don’t believe you. I think you either got pushed out or you know that it’s going to implode. I think that you know Elon is gon’ crash and burn it, and you’re a smart guy,… pic.twitter.com/a932rOrh8w
— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) January 28, 2025
Ramaswamy elaborated on his departure, explaining that his focus on constitutional law and legislation made elected office a more suitable platform for his efforts. “With a constitutional law focus, with the legislation focus—some of the areas I was focused on, probably the right place to do it is elected office. And so we all agreed on that,” he said.
However, Charlamagne remained unconvinced. “I hear you, Vivek. I don’t believe you. I think you either got pushed out or you know that it’s going to implode.”
He went on to speculate about Ramaswamy’s motives, adding, “I think that you know Elon is gonna crash and burn, and you’re a smart guy and you said, ‘You know what, let me get outta dodge and go do my Governor Ohio thing.’”
Ramaswamy praises Trump
Ramaswamy, who appeared on the show to discuss his potential gubernatorial campaign, expressed his support for Trump’s recent actions. “In the first week out the gate, I like pretty much everything I’ve seen [from Donald Trump],” he said.
Explaining his shift in focus, he added, “I’ve been drawn in my own journey to say if I actually care about addressing these issues and not talking about ‘em, there’s actually a lot more that a governor is able to accomplish on a practical level than even somebody sitting at the federal level.”
Charlamagne continued to press, asking whether Ramaswamy believed he was pushed out because “Trump rolled back the DEI initiatives.” Ramaswamy firmly denied the claim, simply responding, “no.” Charlamagne then questioned, “How is eliminating government diversity programs like DEI beneficial to anybody other than straight white males?”
Ramaswamy defended his stance, stating, “This culture of reviving merit in the country is a very American idea.” He also dismissed any speculation of conflict, emphasizing, “We’re all on very good terms,” and adding, “I wouldn’t wanna speak for anybody else, but I will say that [Team Trump is] very supportive” of his gubernatorial aspirations and may offer an official endorsement soon.
