¶ Overview
Vivek Ramaswamy was a key architect of Trump’s DOGE. In November 2024, Trump asked Ramaswamy to co-lead his DOGE initiative to target “federal overspending.” On January 20, 2025, a few hours after Trump took office, Ramaswamy left the DOGE program to run for Ohio governor and said it was his “honor to help support the creation of DOGE.” Trump’s DOGE shut down more than a dozen federal offices in Ohio, including a Social Security Administration office in Mansfield, even though more than 280,000 Ohioans relied on Social Security benefits. DOGE also canceled nearly $70 million in grants to Ohio State University.
In 2023, Ramaswamy called for the firing of 75 percent of the federal workforce. Trump’s DOGE cuts targeted the livelihoods of 83,000 federal workers who resided in Ohio.
¶ Vivek Ramaswamy Said It Was An “Honor To Help Support The Creation Of DOGE,” Which Resulted In The Closure Of Federal Offices In Ohio And Critical Cuts To Ohio State University’s Grants
¶ Vivek Ramaswamy Was A Key Architect Of Trump’s DOGE And Said It Was An “Honor To Help Support the Creation Of DOGE”
¶ Trump Asked Ramaswamy To Co-Lead His DOGE Initiative To Shrink The Federal Government And Slash “Federal Overspending”
HEADLINE: “Elon Musk And Vivek Ramaswamy: The DOGE Plan To Reform Government” [Elon Musk & Vivek Ramaswamy Opinion – Wall Street Journal, 11/20/24]
November 2024: Trump Asked Ramaswamy To Co-Lead His DOGE Initiative To Shrink The Federal Government And Slash “Federal Overspending,” Targeting $400 Billion In Annual Federal Expenditures, Including Funding For The Corporation For Public Broadcasting, International Organizations, And Planned Parenthood. According to an opinion written by Elon Musk & Vivek Ramaswamy in the Wall Street Journal, “President Trump has asked the two of us to lead a newly formed Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, to cut the federal government down to size. The entrenched and ever-growing bureaucracy represents an existential threat to our republic, and politicians have abetted it for too long. That’s why we’re doing things differently. We are entrepreneurs, not politicians. We will serve as outside volunteers, not federal officials or employees. Unlike government commissions or advisory committees, we won’t just write reports or cut ribbons. We’ll cut costs. […] But even without relying on that view, DOGE will help end federal overspending by taking aim at the $500 billion plus in annual federal expenditures that are unauthorized by Congress or being used in ways that Congress never intended, from $535 million a year to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and $1.5 billion for grants to international organizations to nearly $300 million to progressive groups like Planned Parenthood.” [Elon Musk & Vivek Ramaswamy Opinion – Wall Street Journal, 11/20/24]
¶ Ramaswamy Said It Was An “Honor To Help Support The Creation Of DOGE”
January 20, 2025: Ramaswamy Said It Was An “Honor To Help Support The Creation Of DOGE.” According to Ramaswamy’s Twitter, “It was my honor to help support the creation of DOGE. I’m confident that Elon & team will succeed in streamlining government. I’ll have more to say very soon about my future plans in Ohio. Most importantly, we’re all-in to help President Trump make America great again! 🇺🇸”
[Twitter, @VivekGRamaswamy, 1/20/25]
January 20, 2025: Hours After Trump Took Office, Ramaswamy Left The DOGE Program After He Reportedly Planned To Run For Ohio Governor. According to the Guardian, “Donald Trump’s much-vaunted but ill-defined new ‘department of government efficiency’ (Doge) program lost one of its leaders hours after the new president took office on Monday, as Vivek Ramaswamy bowed out of the government cost-cutting taskforce, leaving Elon Musk in sole charge. Ramaswamy’s exit came as he reportedly plans to run for Ohio governor. Trump chose Ramaswamy to lead Doge, a non-governmental organization, alongside Musk in November.” [Guardian, 1/21/25]
¶ DOGE Announced It Would Shut Down More Than A Dozen Federal Ohio Offices, Including The Social Security Administration Office In Mansfield
2025: DOGE Announced It Would Shut Down More Than A Dozen Federal Ohio Offices, Including The Social Security Administration Office In Mansfield. According to the Columbus Dispatch, “DOGE plans to shutter 47 Social Security Administration offices across the U.S., including Ohio, USA TODAY reports, following the Trump Administration's DOGE cost-cutting measures. The move by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) will axe 47 Social Security offices in several states, including Ohio. The Associated Press reports at least 26 SSA locations that are expected to close this year. As DOGE plans to terminate hundreds of federal real estate leases, here's what to know about Social Security location closures in Ohio and other states. Mansfield, Ohio, Social Security office to shut down in May DOGE will close the Social Security office located at 30 N. Diamond St. in Mansfield on May 17, 2025, according to information from the General Services Administration obtained by the Associated Press. More than 280,000 Ohioans (and 73 million Americans) benefit from Social Security support, but federal cuts have raised concerns among employees and recipients as DOGE plans to close more than a dozen federal Ohio offices this year.” [Columbus Dispatch, 3/27/25]
More Than 280,000 Ohioans Relied On Social Security Benefits. According to the Columbus Dispatch, “More than 280,000 Ohioans (and 73 million Americans) benefit from Social Security support, but federal cuts have raised concerns among employees and recipients as DOGE plans to close more than a dozen federal Ohio offices this year.” [Columbus Dispatch, 3/27/25]
¶ DOGE Canceled Nearly $70 Million In Grants To Ohio State University
2025: DOGE Canceled Nearly $70 Million In Grants To Ohio State University, Including 28 Grants To Ohio State Researchers Which Cost The University More Than $29 Million In Unpaid Funds. According to NBC 4, “Between just three months and two federal agencies, DOGE canceled nearly $70 million in grants to Ohio State University, a third of which went unpaid. NBC4 analyzed all National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institute of Health (NIH) grant cancellations under DOGE to track their impact on Ohio State. According to federal grant cancellation records, DOGE — the Department of Government Efficiency started by President Donald Trump in January and ran by Elon Musk for several months — has canceled 28 grants to Ohio State researchers, costing the university more than $29 million in unpaid funds.” [NBC 4, 6/17/25]
¶ Vivek Ramaswamy Called For The Firing Of 75 Percent Of Federal Workers, While DOGE Targeted Ohio’s 83,000 Federal Workers
¶ Vivek Ramaswamy Advocated For The Firing Of 75 Percent Of The Federal Workforce
2023: Ramaswamy Wanted To Fire 75% Of The Federal Workforce, Including The SEC. According to Bloomberg, “Vivek Ramaswamy vows to rescind most federal cryptocurrency regulations and drastically reduce headcount at the Securities and Exchange Commission if he is elected president. Ramaswamy’s proposal, the first crypto plan released by a Republican presidential campaign, calls for a 75% reduction of the federal workforce, including the SEC, and says he would make the deregulation of financial and investment rules a priority.” [Bloomberg, 11/16/23]
¶ DOGE Cuts Targeted 83,000 Federal Workers In Ohio
HEADLINE: “Ohio Has 83K Federal Civilian Employees, Many In Region: DOGE Job Cuts Could Hurt” [Dayton Daily News, 3/10/25]
U.S. Bureau Of Labor Statistics: Since The End Of 2024, Nearly 83,500 Ohioans Were Federal Workers, Including 23,000 U.S. Postal Service Workers. According to the Dayton Daily News, “About 83,500 workers in Ohio were employed by the federal government at the end of 2024, which equates to about 1.5% of the state’s nonfarm payrolls, says survey data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This estimate does not include active-duty military personnel but counts the nearly 23,000 workers employed in the state by the U.S. Postal Service. About one in 20 workers in the Dayton region were employed by the federal government at the end of last year (5% of the total workforce), or about 20,000 civilians, federal survey data show.” [Dayton Daily News, 3/10/25]