President-elect Donald Trump has appointed Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead the newly established Department of Government Efficiency, a move aimed at reducing bureaucracy and enhancing government productivity.
Musk, the CEO of Tesla, X, and SpaceX, will co-lead this department alongside Ramaswamy, a former Republican presidential candidate.
This initiative is intended to function independently of traditional government channels, focusing on cutting regulations, eliminating unnecessary spending, and modernizing federal agencies. Trump described it as a “Manhattan Project” for government efficiency, and Musk has pledged transparency, promising to publicly share the department’s actions online.
The department, set to complete its work by July 4, 2026, aims to implement an entrepreneurial approach to federal reforms and will collaborate closely with the White House and the Office of Management & Budget. Musk hinted at the potential for significant federal budget cuts, estimating reductions of at least $2 trillion, particularly in discretionary spending.
Musk, who contributed millions to Trump’s campaign, is expected to leverage his new influence to benefit his business interests in sectors such as artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency. His involvement has sparked criticism, however, with Public Citizen co-president Lisa Gilbert condemning Musk’s appointment as “corporate corruption,” pointing out Musk’s previous regulatory conflicts.
Meanwhile, Ramaswamy, known for his critiques of “woke” corporate policies in his book Woke, Inc., withdrew his candidacy for the Ohio Senate to accept this role. The department’s acronym, DOGE, has garnered additional attention as a reference to the cryptocurrency Dogecoin, which Musk frequently promotes. The market reacted as Tesla shares declined ahead of the announcement, though they remain up 30% since the election.
