President-elect Donald Trump rewarded billionaire owner of X Elon Musk and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy with plum positions heading up the Department of Government Efficiency.
“I am pleased to announce that the Great Elon Musk, working in conjunction with American Patriot Vivek Ramaswamy, will lead the Department of Government Efficiency (‘DOGE’),” Trump said in a statement Tuesday evening.
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“Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies – Essential to the “Save America” Movement,” Trump continued.
“This will send shockwaves through the system, and anyone involved in Government waste, which is a lot of people!” Musk, the SpaceX founder and Tesla CEO, in a statement.
The newly created DOGE will work with the White House and Office of Management and Budget but operate outside of the federal government to create a more efficient bureaucracy. The effort is sent to end July 4, 2026, on the nation’s 250th Independence Day.
Musk and Ramaswamy are tasked with slashing federal government spending in the wake of the federal budget deficit hitting $1.8 trillion in fiscal 2024, according to the Congressional Budget Office’s estimates.
The CBO also pleaded that the nation’s debt interest increased by $240 billion to total $950 billion.
Last month during a Trump rally in Madison Square Garden, Musk claimed he would identify “at least $2 trillion” of spending that could be eliminated.
But that would necessitate deep cuts in key areas such as defense, domestic aid programs, and Social Security and would require congressional approval.
It is unclear if the Senate will have to approve the nominations.
Both Musk and Ramaswamy are political novices with neither holding office before.
Musk previously bought X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, where he touted his support for Trump even going to the point of hosting a live conversation with the president-elect during the campaign season.
“I look forward to Elon and Vivek making changes to the Federal Bureaucracy with an eye on efficiency and, at the same time, making life better for all Americans,” Trump said of DOGE. “Importantly, we will drive out the massive waste and fraud which exists throughout our annual $6.5 Trillion Dollars of Government Spending.”
Musk spent tens of millions on his political group, America PAC, which galvanized voters in support of Trump during the election. In the final days of the election, he sponsored daily $1 million dollar giveaways to supporters.
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Ramaswamy ran as a millennial version of Trump during the GOP primary but flamed out as other candidates emerged as top contenders against Trump. After dropping out of the presidential race, Ramaswamy quickly coalesced around Trump, becoming one of his key top surrogates.
There was speculation that Ramaswamy would run for the Senate seat to replace Vice President-elect J.D. Vance in Ohio. But with the new appointment, that path seems no longer viable for Ramaswamy.