What Elon Musk Leading 'Department of Government Efficiency' Would Mean for Trump 2.0

Washington: US President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday (November 12) appointed Tesla CEO Elon Musk and former Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to lead the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The Republican leader announced in a statement: "I am pleased to announce that the great Elon Musk, working in conjunction with American patriot Vivek Ramaswamy, will lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)."

"Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my administration to dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excessive regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies — essential to the 'Save America' movement," he added.

Reacting to Trump's announcement, Musk posted on X: "Department of Government Efficiency. The merch will be (fire emojis)." In another post, he said, "Threat to democracy? Nope, threat to BUREAUCRACY!!!"

Meanwhile, Ramaswamy tagged Musk in a post on X, which read: "We will not go gently, @elonmusk."

Notably, the Biden administration did not have a specific department called the "Department of Efficiency"; however, it has focused on enhancing government efficiency and effectiveness through various other initiatives.

What is the Department of Government Efficiency?

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) represents a long-standing Republican aspiration and would help the Trump administration reduce government bureaucracy, remove unnecessary regulations, cut wasteful spending, and reorganize federal agencies — all of which are considered vital to the 'Save America' movement.

However, this is not the first time a US government has had an "Efficiency" department. In 1916, then-President Woodrow Wilson's administration established the United States Bureau of Efficiency "for creating efficiency ratings for the classified service in the several executive departments in the District of Columbia." However, it was discontinued after Franklin D Roosevelt assumed the presidency in 1933.

What Will Be Elon Musk's Role?

Trump is said to have high expectations for DOGE, comparing the initiative to "the Manhattan Project of our time."

Expressing his anticipation, Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy's efforts would enhance federal bureaucracy efficiency while improving American lives. He further asserted their role in eliminating substantial waste and fraud within the annual USD 6.5 trillion government expenditure.

"They will work together to liberate our economy and make the US government accountable to 'WE THE PEOPLE.' Their work will conclude no later than July 4, 2026. A smaller government, with more efficiency and less bureaucracy, will be the perfect gift to America on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. I am confident they will succeed!" Trump declared.

Meanwhile, reacting to this, Musk said, "All actions of the Department of Government Efficiency will be posted online for maximum transparency."

"This will send shockwaves through the system, and anyone involved in government waste — which is a lot of people!" He added, "We will also have a leaderboard for the most insanely dumb spending of your tax dollars. This will be both extremely tragic and extremely entertaining."