President-elect Donald Trump has officially selected Elon Musk to lead efforts to “dismantle” the $6.5 trillion bloated U.S. bureaucracy as head of the newly established ‘Department of Government Efficiency.’
On Tuesday night, Trump made the surprising announcement, stating that Musk will work alongside former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to spearhead what he called the ‘Manhattan Project of our time.’ Musk commented that this would send shockwaves through the government, especially targeting widespread inefficiency.
Republicans have long criticized government overspending, and Trump boasted that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) aims to achieve its objectives by July 4, 2026.
Trump promised that Musk and Ramaswamy would help “dismantle” excessive bureaucracy, reduce unnecessary regulations, cut wasteful spending, and overhaul federal agencies. He claimed the initiative would “eliminate massive waste and fraud” and would be completed by July 4, 2026. Trump described it as “a smaller, more efficient government, with less red tape—a perfect gift for the 250th Anniversary of The Declaration of Independence.” He expressed confidence in their success.
Trump highlighted that the duo would offer “advice and guidance from outside of government,” bringing an unprecedented “entrepreneurial approach” to reforming the system on a large scale.
Musk and Ramaswamy have emerged as key allies for Trump within the tech community. The name DOGE humorously nods to the cryptocurrency that Musk famously boosted with his tweets (before he acquired and rebranded the social media platform).
Musk’s official endorsement of Trump came shortly after a July 13 assassination attempt at Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.