President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday evening that Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, and Vivek Ramaswamy, the biotech entrepreneur and former presidential candidate, will lead his newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The ambitious appointments, announced by Trump via a statement posted to X, hope to streamline federal operations and drive large-scale reforms across government agencies.
Trump framed the new department as a critical step toward reducing government red tape, describing it as potentially “The Manhattan Project of our time.”
“Republican politicians have dreamed about the objectives of ‘DOGE’ for a very long time,” Trump added.
According to Trump, DOGE will focus on a few main goals, such as cutting excess regulations, restructuring federal agencies, and eliminating fraud and waste across the $6.5 trillion yearly government budget.
Trump also emphasized that Musk and Ramaswamy’s work would help “liberate” the U.S. economy, ensuring that government actions align more closely with the needs of everyday Americans.
DOGE is scheduled to end by July 4, 2026, marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Trump has vowed that these reforms will culminate with a “smaller, more efficient government” as a “perfect gift” to the American people on the county’s milestone birthday.
Ramaswamy, a vocal supporter of Trump who suspended his presidential campaign earlier this year, expressed enthusiasm for the new role and its impact on the country.
“DOGE will soon begin crowdsourcing examples of government waste, fraud, & and abuse. Americans voted for drastic government reform & they deserve to be part of fixing it,” Ramaswamy posted on X. The founder of Roivant Sciences also confirmed he was stepping down from consideration for an Ohio Senate seat to focus on this new project alongside Musk.
Musk, a prominent figure in Trump’s campaign efforts, echoed Ramaswamy’s excitement on social media.
“Threat to democracy? Nope, threat to BUREAUCRACY!!!” Musk posted.
The Tesla, Space X, and X owner has become one of Trump’s most visible backers during the 2024 election. Musk’s super PAC invested roughly $200 million in supporting Trump’s election campaign, according to the Associated Press.
However, Trump’s victory has also had a return of benefits for Musk. Since acquiring X for $44 billion, the company has faced consistent regulatory scrutiny over potential data privacy issues, especially from the FTC. Musk has openly criticized the agency and suggested that, under Trump’s pro-business agenda, FTC chair Lina Khan could be on her way out.
Additionally, investors have responded positively overall to Musk’s support of Trump, with Tesla’s stock jumping more than 14% after Trump’s recent victory speech, per AP.
Musk and Ramaswamy’s appointment to DOGE is the latest in a series of high-profile Cabinet picks by Trump.
According to Fox, the list of appointments also includes Marco Rubio, who is expected to be named Secretary of State, Kristi Noem, who is being considered for Secretary of Homeland Security, and Mike Huckabee as Ambassador to Israel.