Lose Yourself in the Budget: Vivek Ramaswamy’s Exit from DOGE
Government budget cutting isn’t for the faint of heart, so it’s not surprising that Vivek Ramaswamy’s exit as co-chair of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) happened swiftly and without much fanfare. Vivek is a showman—a pitchman extraordinaire—who thrives in front of a crowd, like during his viral performance of Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” at the Iowa State Fair last year. The stunt earned him laughs, a few cheers, and a boost in visibility. But it also highlighted his real strength: communication. Parsing through trillions of dollars of federal spending priorities in a cramped basement office in D.C.? That’s another matter entirely. It was only a matter of time before Ramaswamy wore out his welcome with the bean counters who rule the budget-cutting world of Washington.
But Vivek’s exit isn’t just about a mismatch of skills; it’s also a symptom of deeper issues within DOGE—a pet project of President-elect Donald Trump designed to cut up to $2 trillion in federal spending. At its core, DOGE reflects Trump’s penchant for spectacle: appoint two high-profile, private-sector icons—Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk—and watch as they disrupt the bureaucratic status quo. On paper, it’s a compelling vision. In practice, it’s more of a reality TV experiment gone awry.
The Blind Leading the Blind
