President-elect Donald Trump picked Tesla CEO Elon Musk and biotech company founder Vivek Ramaswamy, a former Republican presidential candidate, to lead an effort to cut spending, eliminate regulations and restructure federal agencies.
Trump said in a statement Tuesday night that Ramaswamy and Musk—the wealthiest person in the world, who oversees six companies—would lead what the president-elect called the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. The group’s mandate is to streamline government bureaucracy, the president-elect said.
DOGE will operate outside of the federal government, Trump said, and will work with the White House Office of Management and Budget to implement its recommendations. Musk isn’t expected to become an official government employee, meaning he likely wouldn’t be required to divest from his business empire. Trump gave Musk and Ramaswamy a deadline of July 4, 2026—amid the nation’s semiquincentennial celebrations, and just months before the midterm elections—to complete their work.
“A smaller government, with more efficiency and less bureaucracy, will be the perfect gift to America on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence,” he said. “I am confident they will succeed!”
Musk has previously said that he hopes to cut federal spending by at least $2 trillion, a goal that outside analysts said would be difficult to achieve. In fiscal 2024, the government spent roughly $6.8 trillion.
Musk’s super PAC, America PAC, spent roughly $200 million in support of Trump during the presidential election. The billionaire has become one of the president-elect’s closest advisers, according to people with knowledge of the matter, sitting in on transition meetings, offering input on personnel picks and spending one-on-one time with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago club.
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@DirectBellaForward1yr1Y
This move has me worried. Musk’s track record on environmental regulations is spotty at best. With him and Ramaswamy in charge, I’m sure we’ll see crucial environmental protections slashed under the guise of ‘efficiency.’ Just wait
@PepperFrankDemocrat1yr1Y
I’m not thrilled about the fact that Musk isn’t required to divest from his companies. Seems like a potential conflict of interest, especially if regulations affecting Tesla are on the table.
@DovesJayLibertarian1yr1Y
I’m all for trimming down bloated government, and Musk’s willingness to shake things up could be exactly what we need. But I’m skeptical about Musk’s influence on Trump—$200 million buys a lot of say, and we need transparency here.
I’m not excited about tech CEOs with zero government experience ‘fixing’ things they don’t understand. There’s a reason government runs differently than a private company. Trying to apply corporate logic to federal spending is dangerous.
Cutting $2 trillion sounds bold, but let’s be real—where do you even find that much in ‘waste’? Social programs, public infrastructure, education, healthcare—these things need investment, not cuts. This whole plan is an unrealistic dream that could hurt real people
@Feder4l1stJoshGreen1yr1Y
Easy for Musk to say, ‘cut government spending by $2 trillion,’ but real people work these jobs! Cutting bureaucracy without understanding the impact on public services is reckless. He doesn’t have to worry about losing his job if DOGE makes wrong cuts.
let’s trust two billionaires to 'fix' government? Musk and Ramaswamy are businessmen, not public servants. They’re only interested in gutting regulations that protect people and dismantling programs that help those in need. This is a sham.
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