Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will lead new ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ in Trump administration
If elected, former President Donald Trump has proposed forming a new agency, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), to address what he sees as wasteful spending and bureaucracy in the federal government. He has suggested that business magnates Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy would lead this agency, with Musk focusing on applying his “lean” business principles to the federal budget.
The proposed DOGE would reportedly conduct a top-to-bottom audit of government agencies, with the goal of trimming spending and eliminating inefficiencies across various programs. Advocates argue that Musk’s experience at companies like Tesla and X (formerly Twitter), where he streamlined operations and cut thousands of jobs, positions him well for a similar approach in the public sector. Ramaswamy, who has also advocated for a reduction in federal regulation, would support Musk’s efforts to slim down the government workforce and possibly reduce oversight in sectors where federal involvement is extensive.
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This plan reflects a broader vision of cutting federal spending by possibly trillions of dollars over the coming years, especially within programs Trump’s campaign believes are unnecessarily large. Critics, however, warn that such a drastic approach could have severe consequences on essential services, including health, education, and social security programs, and may not ultimately save as much as expected due to the complexity of public sector operations.
The DOGE proposal resonates with Trump’s populist rhetoric, promising to reduce “big government” and relieve Americans of bureaucratic overreach. However, experts caution that private-sector efficiency principles don’t always translate seamlessly to public governance, where objectives are more complex and often involve long-term investments in social well-being.