President-elect Donald Trump has announced that tech billionaire Elon Musk will head the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), alongside American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. The announcement was made in a statement from Trump on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, and shared via Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) handle on Wednesday morning.
In his statement, Trump emphasized that the creation of DOGE and the appointments of Musk and Ramaswamy would help his administration tackle government inefficiency. The new department is tasked with “dismantling government bureaucracy, slashing excessive regulations, cutting wasteful expenditures, and restructuring federal agencies.”
Trump, 78, who won the 2024 U.S. presidential election by defeating Vice President Kamala Harris, described the department’s mission as a key component of his “Save America” movement. He stressed that DOGE would collaborate closely with the White House and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to push for large-scale government reform and foster a more entrepreneurial, results-driven approach to governance.
“I am pleased to announce that the great Elon Musk, working with American patriot Vivek Ramaswamy, will lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE),” Trump said. “Together, these two exceptional Americans will pave the way for my administration to dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excessive regulations, cut wasteful spending, and restructure federal agencies — all critical to the success of the ‘Save America’ movement. This will send shockwaves through the system and hold accountable those involved in government waste— which, as we know, is a lot of people.”
Trump also likened the mission of DOGE to a new era of government reform, 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, and now it will become a reality. To drive this kind of drastic change, the Department of Government Efficiency will provide expert advice from outside the government and work closely with the White House and OMB to initiate large-scale structural reforms and create an entrepreneurial approach to government, never seen before.”
He added, “I look forward to Elon and Vivek making significant changes to the federal bureaucracy, with a focus on efficiency. Together, they will work to reduce government waste and fraud, which plagues our annual $6.5 trillion of government spending. Their efforts will help liberate our economy and make the U.S. government more accountable to We the People.”
Trump also set a timeline for the department’s work, stating, “Their mission will conclude no later than July 4, 2026. A smaller, more efficient government with 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 their mission.”
Elon Musk’s role and support for Trump
Musk, the owner of the social media platform X, electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla, and satellite internet provider Starlink, has been a vocal supporter of Trump’s political agenda. In the 2024 election, Musk contributed $75 million to a pro-Trump political action committee, according to Reuters.
Other key cabinet appointments
In addition to Musk and Ramaswamy, Trump’s cabinet appointments include:
- Lee Zeldin — Environmental Protection Agency Administrator
- Mike Waltz — National Security Advisor
- Susie Wiles — White House Chief of Staff
- Tom Homan — Border Czar
- Elise Stefanik — Ambassador to the United Nations
- Stephen Miller — Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy
