Trump names Elon Musk to lead so-called “DOGE” with Vivek Ramaswamy: NPR

President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a new government agency focused on regulating federal spending.

In a statement released Tuesday, Trump referred to the new agency as the “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), an acronym that is an apparent reference to the dog cryptocurrency of the same name, which started as a joke and skyrocketed after Musk launched it promoted.

Although it is not yet clear whether this entity will exist within or outside the federal government, an official government agency cannot be created without an act of Congress.

“Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my administration to cut government bureaucracy, eliminate excessive regulations, cut wasteful spending and restructure federal agencies – essential to the 'Save America' movement,” Trump wrote. “I look forward to Elon and Vivek making changes to the federal bureaucracy with an eye on efficiency while improving life for all Americans.”

Trump's move marks another deviation from the political tradition when putting together a new government. It is also a continuation of Trump's relationships with Musk and Ramaswamy, businessmen who are both relatively new to politics but have become close allies of the new president.

During the campaign, Trump talked about creating a role in the federal government for Musk, who is the richest man in the world and owns Tesla, SpaceX and the social media platform X.

Musk has become one increasingly influential voice in conservative politics. He first proposed a “Government Efficiency Commission” that would oversee federal agencies for a period of time Conversation he had with Trump on X. Since winning the presidential election, Trump and Musk remained in close orbit.

The appointment also formally inducts Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur and former Republican presidential candidate, into Trump's administration after reportedly once being considered for vice president.

“We will not go soft,” Ramaswamy said in a post

“This will send shockwaves through the system and everyone involved in government waste, and that's a lot of people!” Musk said.

While most department heads must be confirmed by the Senate, it is unclear what formalities Musk and Ramaswamy must go through for these roles.

For Musk, a direct role in the administration raises questions about possible conflicts of interest. He could potentially gain regulatory power over federal agencies that oversee many of his companies that receive government funding, including Tesla, SpaceX and Starlink. Musk's companies have done this too was the topic from Federal investigation.

Musk and Trump

Musk became a key supporter of Trump in the final stages of his presidential bid, appearing on the campaign trail and spending more than $100 million organizing his efforts through his super PAC America PAC. His political donations exceeded the total amount of public donations entire oil industry.

Musk's relationship with Trump is worlds apart from the cautious way most American CEOs approach politics – even though Musk has done this before a story from break out of Company tradition.

The tech mogul's support for Trump was also a surprising ideological turning point. Musk, who built his vast fortune on electric vehicles declared commitment To Fighting climate changenow welcomes a politician who consistently rejects concerns about CO2 emissions.

However, Trump's appreciation was public. On the campaign trail, he toned down his anti-electric vehicle rhetoric somewhat, saying he had “no choice” about being in favor of them after Musk's support. Trump also called Musk a “super genius” in his victory speech and included Musk in one Family photo after the election.

While speaking to Trump supporters at a rally in New York City before Election Day, Musk commented on spending cuts and argued that the federal government's budget could be significantly reduced “at least” $2 trillion.

reduction of costs in the company; spend a lot of money in politics

He has proven to have cut spending in his companies. After purchasing X, he carried out mass layoffsThis reduced the size of the company significantly from 8,000 to 1,500 employees.

In the run-up to Trump's announcement, Musk too said he planned to Keep his super PAC active as Republicans prepare for special elections and the midterms.

Like Musk, Ramaswamy has called for drastic cuts in federal spending.

By the time he dropped out of the 2024 presidential campaign in January to support Trump, Ramaswamy promised to reduce the role of the federal government. His policy proposals included cutting the Federal Reserve workforce by at least 90% And Deportation of the U.S.-born children of undocumented immigrants.