Vivek Ramaswamy Says Trump Offered Him Cabinet Role: ‘My Focus Was On…’

Last Updated:September 24, 2025, 23:50 IST

Vivek Ramaswamy declined a Donald Trump cabinet offer to run for Ohio governor, he said in a new podcast.

Vivek Ramaswamy

Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said US President Donald Trump offered him a cabinet position after the 2024 election but he instead chose to pursue his campaign to lead his home state. Speaking on Pod Force One, the biotech entrepreneur and former Republican presidential hopeful confirmed he had been considered for multiple posts, though he declined to name them.

He said, “There were a couple that were discussed. When I thought about what I wanted to do, I was already set on running for governor of Ohio, but for a period of time in the administration where it could be most helpful, that’s where my focus was.”

Vivek Ramaswamy On Short Stint At DOGE

Vivek Ramaswamy joined the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative after Donald Trump’s victory, alongside Elon Musk. In November, the pair co-authored a Wall Street Journal op-ed describing their vision of using DOGE to dismantle what they called the “regulatory state”.

By January, Vivek Ramaswamy had stepped down to prepare his Ohio campaign while Elon Musk went on to steer DOGE towards cost-cutting, citing the country’s $2 trillion fiscal deficit.

Vivek Ramaswamy suggested he and Elon Musk had differing views on DOGE’s priorities, saying,  “From my perspective, we got a few things we got to address in the country. One is the overgrown regulatory state. That can be addressed through executive power. And then we have an overgrown national debt problem, and that needs to be addressed through legislation.”

Despite those differences, Vivek Ramaswamy described his collaboration with Elon Musk positively as he said he had a “good” and “interesting” experience helping to set up DOGE in the early weeks after the election.

Asked about Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy replied, “He’s smart, obviously.”

Vivek Ramaswamy is now seen as the frontrunner in the race for the Republican nomination for governor of Ohio.

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