As Indian-origin entrepreneur and Republican leader Vivek Ramaswamy pulled out of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), just 69 days after he was announced the co-head of the team along with tech billionaire Elon Musk, a report has revealed that it was the Tesla CEO who wanted Ramaswamy 'out' of the team. Politico reported citing three people with Elon Musk's preference said the billionaire made it known that he wanted Ramaswamy out of DOGE in recent days.

Hours after Trump's inauguration as the 47th US President, Ramaswamy announced that he would not co-head DOGE. Musk's ability to ice out Ramaswamy, who for a variety of reasons had irked some Republicans in Trump's circle, is the latest sign of his influence in the incoming administration. It presages an encore of all of the infighting that marked Trump's first term.