Vivek Ramaswamy tells ‘Pod Force One’ he was offered a cabinet position, dishes on DOGE split with ‘smart’ Elon Musk

WASHINGTON — During an appearance on The Post’s “Pod Force One” podcast, Vivek Ramaswamy, who is vying for the Ohio governorship, shared that former President Trump had offered him a cabinet role post the 2024 election. He also hinted at a different strategy for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) compared to Elon Musk’s approach.

Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur, told Miranda Devine that he had considered a brief stint at DOGE before throwing his hat in the ring for governor of Ohio, though he remained tight-lipped about the specifics surrounding his exit from the administration prior to the inauguration of the 47th president.

“There were a couple that were discussed,” he mentioned, without elaborating on which cabinet position was suggested.

Following his election triumph, Trump publicly announced that Ramaswamy and Musk would lead the DOGE initiative focused on reducing government spending, where they both contributed to a Wall Street Journal op-ed outlining their vision.

By January, it became widely known that Ramaswamy had departed DOGE to focus entirely on his gubernatorial campaign in his home state.

“A key focus of my presidential campaign was to dismantle the bloated regulatory state,” Ramaswamy declared. He further expressed, “I believe that the regulatory burden is a significant obstacle limiting our economy’s potential.”

“When I considered my next steps, running for governor of Ohio was already on my agenda. I believed that a temporary role in the administration could be beneficial, but ultimately, my goal was clear, and I think that addressing excessive regulation is crucial for unlocking our country’s potential,” he added.

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In a November op-ed, Musk and Ramaswamy hinted at their strategies for using DOGE to confront regulatory barriers. After Ramaswamy’s exit, DOGE shifted its focus toward cost-reduction strategies.

Musk highlighted that he perceived the nation’s approximately $2 trillion fiscal deficit as unmanageable and aimed to pare it down before he left the administration in late May.

Ramaswamy suggested to Devine that their departure stemmed from differing priorities on DOGE’s focus.

“We have several challenges to tackle in our nation, starting with the overreaching regulatory framework, which I believe can be mitigated through executive action. We also have an overwhelming national debt issue that needs legislative solutions,” the Harvard College and Yale Law School alum noted.

He emphasized that he had a positive and enriching experience during the preliminary weeks of establishing DOGE alongside Trump and Musk.

“Musk is undeniably intelligent,” Ramaswamy remarked when reflecting on collaborating with the world’s wealthiest individual.

Ramaswamy is leading in the polls as a Republican candidate for the Ohio governorship, according to the RealClearPolitics polling average.