US President-elect Donald Trump appointed Elon Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to co-lead a new Department of Government Efficiency, Reuters reports.
The department aims to reduce government bureaucracy, cut wasteful spending, and restructure Federal Agencies, with the goal of reducing the federal budget by up to $2 trillion and promoting an entrepreneurial approach to government. This department will operate outside traditional government structures and require no Senate approval for its leaders, allowing Musk to remain CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and X (formerly Twitter). Ramaswamy, who had previously run for president, will withdraw from consideration for a US Senate appointment to focus on the initiative.
Musk, the world’s richest person, has long supported Trump’s campaign and could benefit from the role by influencing policies that favor his companies. Critics, such as the Public Citizen group, argue that Musk lacks experience in government efficiency and that his businesses have been prone to violating regulations. Musk promised transparency, with plans to post the department’s actions online and highlight wasteful spending.
