Donald Trump has announced that Elon Musk, the world’s richest person as well as former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will lead the new Department of Government Efficiency, a non-government agency focused on cutting federal waste and streamlining operations.
Musk is expected to lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (D.O.G.E), Donald as announced, along with the former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. Musk and Ramaswamy will collaborate with the Office of Management and Budget to drive reforms and bring an entrepreneurial approach to government.
Musk, who has promoted the agency nicknamed “Doge” after Dogecoin, plans to document all actions publicly for transparency, including a leaderboard to highlight inefficient spending of tax dollars. Ramaswamy via social media expressed his commitment to the initiative.
Since they are not government employees, Musk and Ramaswamy are exempt from federal disclosure requirements and aim to complete their work by July 4, 2026. Trump envisions a smaller, more efficient government as a gift for the nation’s 250th anniversary. Musk, who has advocated for a $2 trillion cut in government spending, has received mixed reactions. Supporters believe his involvement will drive meaningful change, while critics argue that his businesses have a history of clashing with regulations he may now seek to reform.
The new body will not be a government agency but an outside organization offering the White House “advice and guidance”. Trump said it would shock government systems, as Doge (the acronym is the name of Musk’s favorite cryptocurrency, which itself references a meme about a dog with an amusing expression), partners with the Office of Management and Budget to “create an entrepreneurial approach to government never seen before”. Musk has admitted that slashing spending “necessarily involves some temporary hardship” for American taxpayers.
Musk, who owns Twitter (X), promised to publish the department’s actions online for “maximum transparency”, saying he would keep “a leaderboard for most insanely dumb spending of your tax dollars”. Ramaswamy, a wealthy biotech entrepreneur who, like Musk, has no government experience, also responded to his appointment on X, saying: “We will not go gently, @elonmusk”.
