WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that Elon Musk, alongside former GOP presidential contender Vivek Ramaswamy, will spearhead a newly conceived entity titled the “Department of Government Efficiency.” Despite its name, this will not represent a formal government agency.
The abbreviation “DOGE” highlights Musk’s affinity for dogecoin, a popular cryptocurrency. Trump explained that Musk and Ramaswamy will function outside of governmental structures to provide “advice and guidance” to the White House. They are expected to collaborate with the Office of Management and Budget to initiate substantial structural reforms and adopt a groundbreaking entrepreneurial approach to government. Trump remarked that their work would send shockwaves through existing government systems.
The specifics of how this initiative will function remain uncertain. It may fall under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, which stipulates how external advisory groups interact with the government, ensuring public accountability.
Typically, federal employees must report their assets and ties to avoid possible conflicts of interest and must divest any significant holdings associated with their governmental role. However, Musk and Ramaswamy will not be classified as official federal employees, thus exempting them from these requirements and ethical constraints.
Musk has been a frequent visitor at Mar-a-Lago since Trump’s election victory. The president-elect has previously stated his intention to appoint Musk in a significant role, similar to that of a blue-ribbon committee, aimed at identifying impactful ways to reduce spending and enhance federal efficiency. Musk has claimed that he could uncover over $2 trillion in savings, which would equate to nearly a third of the total annual government budget.
Trump has indicated that a full-time role for Musk is unlikely, considering Musk’s many commitments. “I don’t think I can get him full-time because he’s a little bit busy sending rockets up and doing all the things he does,” Trump mentioned during a rally in Michigan back in September. “He said the waste in this country is crazy. And we’re going to get Elon Musk to be our cost cutter.”
Ramaswamy, who paused his presidential campaign in January, subsequently endorsed Trump. In his announcement, Trump emphasized that together Musk and Ramaswamy will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.”