--- title: "Vivek Ramaswamy Once Called Elon Musk Something Truly Heinous" description: "Vivek Ramaswamy has repeatedly lashed out at Elon Musk, accusing him of being a puppet of the Chinese government." date: "2024-12-05" modified: "2024-12-05" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/vivek-ramaswamy-elon-musk-name" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "elon musk" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # Vivek Ramaswamy Once Called Elon Musk Something Truly Heinous ![Vivek Ramaswamy has repeatedly lashed out at Musk, accusing him of being a puppet of the Chinese government.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* ## Circus Monkey Now that president-elect Donald Trump's proud new spiritual godsons Tesla CEO Elon Musk and failed presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy [have been put in charge]() of the mysterious and largely symbolic Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the pair have become the best of pals. But their relationship — [much like Musk and Trump's]() — has been rocky in the past, to say the least. As [*Rolling Stone* reports](), Ramaswamy has repeatedly lashed out at Musk, accusing him of being a puppet of the Chinese government in a popular talking point among Republicans. During a [2023 podcast appearance](), the pharmaceutical company founder said "I think Tesla is increasingly beholden to China." "I have no reason to think Elon won’t jump like a circus monkey when \[Chinese president\] Xi Jinping calls in the hour of need," he added at the time. ## Shots Fired Problematic name-calling aside, Ramaswamy likely isn't *too* far from the truth. Tesla has established a strong presence in China, opening a factory in Shanghai back in 2018. Musk has even gone so far as to imply that Taiwan [should simply give up and "reunite]()" with China during an event last year, echoing his [sentiment that Russia should annex parts of Ukraine](). During a [separate podcast appearance]() last year, Ramaswamy accused Musk of having gotten a "nice 'attaboy'… a little pat on the back when his Shanghai factory and regulator in China gave him a nice little tax break within days after him having made that comment about Taiwan." Ramaswamy also [uploaded an attack ad on X-formerly-Twitter]() accusing Musk of being deep in the pockets of the Chinese Communist Party after meeting with the country's foreign minister. "The crusader for 'free speech' (Elon Musk) kisses the ring of the world’s biggest censor: Xi Jinping," Ramaswamy wrote in a [scathing tweet]() in June 2023. But now that the unlikely pair have been joined at the hip to lead DOGE, their relationship already looks dramatically different, suggesting that either Ramaswamy's previous comments weren't much more than pandering to right-wing lawmakers, or that he has no moral core. Case in point, earlier this week, Ramaswamy promised that the so-called "department" [would investigate Tesla's rivals](), who received financial support for building two battery factories in Indinia from the Biden administration — while Tesla didn't. "DOGE will carefully scrutinize every one of these questionable 11th-hour transactions, starting on Jan 20," Ramaswamy [tweeted](), throwing his weight behind Musk and his EV maker. Whether the pair will be able to get even close to [slashing a promised $2 trillion]() in government spending through their new government venture — which will be an entirely [advisory body that will operate from outside of the US government]() — remains to be seen. But chances are that sparks will continue to fly regardless as the two vie for attention. **More on the pair:** *[Experts Say Elon Musk's Ridiculous "DOGE" Initiative Could Actually Crush Innovation]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()