President-elect Donald Trump has named tech entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead an ambitious new initiative aimed at slashing federal spending and reducing the size of the U.S. government. The move, announced Tuesday, centers around a newly established entity called the "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE), which Trump envisions as a major overhaul of the federal bureaucracy.
In a statement, Trump declared that Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, and Ramaswamy, the founder of biopharmaceutical company Roivant Sciences, would spearhead the effort to eliminate inefficiencies and wasteful spending within federal agencies. The goal, according to Trump, is to "slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure government operations to create a leaner, more efficient system."
"DOGE will be a game-changer," Trump said, drawing a parallel to the historic Manhattan Project. "It will become, potentially, 'The Manhattan Project' of our time. Republican politicians have dreamed about the objectives of 'DOGE' for a very long time."
The initiative promises to bring an entrepreneurial approach to government, an ethos both Musk and Ramaswamy have cultivated in their respective industries. Musk, known for his ambitious plans to revolutionize space travel and electric vehicles, and Ramaswamy, an outspoken advocate for free-market reforms in healthcare, will provide advice and strategic guidance to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to drive large-scale structural reforms.
However, questions remain about the specific role DOGE will play in the Trump administration. It is unclear whether the department will operate as an official government entity or as an external advisory group. According to Trump, the department's advisors will work from outside the government, offering a fresh perspective on government operations.
“To drive this kind of drastic change, DOGE will partner with the White House and the Office of Management & Budget to create an entrepreneurial approach to government never seen before,” Trump said.
Elon Musk responded to the announcement with a statement that echoed his trademark boldness. "DOGE will send shockwaves through the system and anyone involved in Government waste, which is a lot of people!” Musk said in a release shared by Trump’s team.
Musk later took to social media to further stir excitement about the new initiative. In a tweet, Musk quipped, “Threat to democracy? Nope, threat to BUREAUCRACY!!!” He followed up with another post directed at Ramaswamy, saying, "We will not go gently @elonmusk," to which Ramaswamy responded, “Indeed, we will not.”
The announcement comes after both Musk and Trump discussed the concept of such a group during the 2024 presidential campaign. At the time, many observers were skeptical about whether the ambitious idea would gain traction. However, the naming of Musk and Ramaswamy to lead DOGE signals that Trump is serious about tackling government inefficiency from a business-minded perspective.
Trump's focus on government reform is not new. Throughout his tenure as president, he often criticized the size and wastefulness of the federal government, a theme that has resonated with many conservative voters. The launch of DOGE is the latest step in his promise to make government more efficient and responsive to the needs of the American people.
While the specifics of DOGE's mission are still being fleshed out, it is clear that Trump’s new initiative aims to bring a fresh, no-nonsense approach to the way federal agencies operate. With Musk and Ramaswamy at the helm, the project is expected to garner attention not just for its ambitious goals, but also for its potential to disrupt the entrenched bureaucratic systems in Washington.
