U.S. President-elect Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will lead a new Department of Government Efficiency.
Trump said that Musk and Ramaswamy will help his administration reduce government bureaucracy, cut unnecessary rules, save money, and reorganize federal agencies. He hopes their work will be finished by July 4, 2026, which will mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Trump described a smaller and more efficient government as a “gift” to the country.
Both Musk and Ramaswamy are supporters of Trump. Musk is known for leading the electric car company Tesla, the social media platform X, and the rocket company SpaceX. Ramaswamy is a pharmaceutical company founder who ran for the Republican presidential nomination but later supported Trump after dropping out.
Musk has donated millions to support Trump’s campaign and has appeared with him at events. Trump had previously mentioned giving Musk a role to help improve government efficiency.
The new department’s acronym, DOGE, is similar to the name of the cryptocurrency Dogecoin, which Musk promotes. Musk stated, “This will send shockwaves through the system, and anyone involved in government waste, which is a lot of people!” Trump referred to this initiative as potentially “The Manhattan Project” of our time, referring it to the U.S. plan to develop the atomic bomb to end World War II.
