Trump Appoints Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy to Lead New Department of Govt Efficiency

In a major announcement on Tuesday, President-elect Donald Trump revealed that Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and 'X', along with Indian-origin entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, will lead the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

"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")," Trump said in an official statement. 

"Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies - Essential to the 'Save America' Movement. This will send shockwaves through the system, and anyone involved in Government waste, which is a lot of people!" he added.

The newly formed DOGE will work alongside the White House and the Office of Management and Budget to drive large-scale structural reform and create an entrepreneurial approach to government.

Trump highlighted the department's potential significance, saying, "It will become, potentially, 'The Manhattan Project' of our time. Republican politicians have dreamed about the objectives of 'DOGE' for a very long time. To drive this kind of drastic change, the Department of Government Efficiency will provide advice and guidance from outside of Government and will partner with the White House and Office of Management & Budget to drive large-scale structural reform and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before." 

Trump further expressed his expectations for Musk and Ramaswamy, stating, "I look forward to Elon and Vivek making changes to the Federal Bureaucracy with an eye on efficiency and, at the same time, making life better for all Americans. Importantly, we will drive out the massive waste and fraud which exists throughout our annual USD 6.5 Trillion Dollars of Government Spending. They will work together to liberate our Economy, and make the U.S. 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!"

In response to the announcement, Musk shared his excitement on X, stating, "Department of Government Efficiency The merch will be fire."

Ramaswamy, who had previously run for president before halting his candidacy in January this year to support Trump, also reacted on X. He tagged Musk in a post, writing, "We will not go gently, @elonmusk." Additionally, Ramaswamy shared a slogan he frequently used during his presidential campaign, advocating for the elimination of federal agencies: "SHUT IT DOWN."

Ramaswamy also made an important personal announcement, revealing that he is withdrawing from consideration for the pending Senate appointment in Ohio. "And yes, this means I'm withdrawing myself from consideration for the pending Senate appointment in Ohio. Whoever Governor DeWine appoints to JD's seat has some big shoes to fill. I will help them however I can," he posted on X. 

Earlier in the day, President-elect Trump made several key nominations, including former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe as the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), William Joseph McGinley as White House Counsel, former New York Congressman Lee Zeldin as Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense. 

Following his victory over Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the 2024 US presidential election, President-elect Donald Trump is moving swiftly to finalize his foreign policy and national security team ahead of his formal inauguration in January 2025.