US President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk to lead a newly created initiative aimed at eliminating government bureaucracy.
The project, called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), will also see biotech investor Vivek Ramaswamy teaming up with Musk to push for large-scale structural reform within the federal government.
Trump's announcement on Tuesday evening outlined the ambitious goals of the Doge Initiative to “eliminate government bureaucracy, reduce excess regulation, cut wasteful spending, and restructure federal agencies.” Musk and Ramaswamy will advise the White House on how to pursue these changes, particularly the $6.5 trillion increase in annual government spending. The project's acronym, Doge, refers to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, Dogecoin.
Although DOGE will not be an official government department – such agencies require congressional approval – it represents a bold step by the incoming administration to reduce waste and inefficiency in the federal government. Musk, a longtime Trump campaign supporter and mega-donor, has previously called for large-scale federal spending cuts, including a proposal to slash $2 trillion from the national budget. He has also advocated eliminating overlapping federal agencies.
In a statement, Trump compared the DOGE initiative to the Manhattan Project, the secret program that developed the first nuclear weapon during World War II. Trump set an end date of July 4, 2026 for the initiative's results, saying, “A smaller government, with greater efficiency and less bureaucracy, would be the perfect gift to America on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.”
Musk and Ramaswamy will collaborate with the White House and the Office of Management and Budget to tackle the “rampant waste and fraud” described by Trump. Musk's social media platform, X, reiterated his enthusiasm for the initiative, as he posted: “A threat to democracy? No, danger to bureaucracy!!!”
Ramaswamy, who ran as the Republican presidential nominee earlier this year before endorsing Trump, also expressed his commitment to the project. He announced that he was withdrawing from consideration for the Ohio Senate seat soon to be vacated by J.D. Vance to focus on the Doge initiative.
Meanwhile, Ramaswami's past comments on government restructuring are raising questions. While running for president, he promised to fire over 75% of the federal workforce and close several key agencies, including the Department of Education, the FBI, and the ATF.
Trump also made other key appointments, including appointing former Texas congressman John Ratcliffe to head the CIA and nominating Fox News host Pete Hegseth to lead the Defense Department. Hegseth, a combat veteran with limited government experience, has been a vocal supporter of Trump.
In addition to the announcement of the DOGE initiative, the Trump campaign issued a flurry of press releases to fill key national security positions, including nominating South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem to serve as Secretary of Homeland Security .
The announcement comes amid a surge in the value of cryptocurrency Dogecoin, boosted by Musk's public support. With these strategic appointments, the Trump administration is signaling its commitment to reducing the size and inefficiency of government, setting the stage for a potentially dramatic transformation of the federal bureaucracy.
Chioma Kalu
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