Vivek Ramaswamy (left), Elon Musk (right) (Credit: AFP)
Trump appoints Musk, Ramaswamy to lead new "Department of Government Efficiency"
President-elect Donald Trump announced that Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy will lead a new government initiative dubbed the "Department of Government Efficiency" or DOGE.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 13, 2024
If approved, this newly envisioned department would focus on downsizing federal bureaucracy, cutting regulatory costs, and overhauling inefficient spending practices. The department's stated mission is to bring a fresh perspective "from outside of Government," to save taxpayer money and simplify federal processes.
Trump's choice to enlist Musk, a business magnate with substantial federal contracts, and Ramaswamy, who has advocated for scaling back federal agencies, has already raised questions about conflicts of interest and the potential challenges in securing bipartisan approval for such a radical restructuring.
The department, Trump explained in a statement, is expected to "provide critical insights and solutions that slash excessive government spending," with a mission to streamline federal functions by July 4, 2026.
- Musk and Ramaswamy’s vision for government reform -
The roots of the initiative trace back to conversations Trump held with Musk and Ramaswamy in August. Musk, an outspoken critic of government regulations, first proposed the concept of a government efficiency commission, an idea Trump eagerly embraced. By September, Trump had publicly committed to creating this commission, with Musk slated to spearhead it if Trump returned to office. The President-elect sees the initiative as central to his plans to reign in the nation’s USD 6.5 trillion federal budget.
In his official response on X (formerly Twitter), Musk expressed confidence in the task ahead, stating that “bureaucratic waste” could be pared down significantly. He even teased an online transparency system where public actions would be tracked, including a leaderboard featuring “the most ridiculous examples of government waste.”
Meanwhile, Ramaswamy echoed his support with a familiar campaign slogan, “SHUT IT DOWN,” signaling his continued commitment to reducing government footprint. As a previous Republican presidential hopeful, Ramaswamy was a vocal advocate for restructuring agencies like the FBI and the Department of Education, emphasizing the importance of cutting federal spending.
