US President-elect Donald Trump has shared his plans to establish a “Department of Government Efficiency” or “DOGE,” humorously named after a popular internet meme and cryptocurrency.
Leading this new government task force will be billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, both of whom were significant supporters of Trump’s campaign.
Musk, in particular, reportedly contributed more than $100 million to Trump’s successful presidential campaign and consistently advocated for Trump on the social media platform he owns, X.
Trump explained that Musk and Ramaswamy will spearhead an effort to minimize wasteful spending within federal operations. “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,” Trump said.
By recruiting expertise from outside the government, Trump aims to circumvent the standard disclosure requirements that could impact Musk’s financial privacy.
According to Musk, this new task force will actively share updates with the public. In a statement posted on X, he revealed that the agency’s findings, especially on unnecessary government expenses, will be accessible online for “maximum transparency.”
He promised a “leaderboard for most insanely dumb spending of your tax dollars,” which he said would be “both extremely tragic and extremely entertaining.”
Meanwhile, Trump is planning a return to Washington, D.C., to meet with President Joe Biden. He may also visit Congress, where Republicans have secured a slim majority in the Senate and are likely to maintain control of the House.
