President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday night that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will head up a new efficiency department with the goal of dismantling government bureaucracy and “cut wasteful expenditures” throughout federal agencies by July 4, 2026.
Trump said their efforts running the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) “will become, potentially, ‘The Manhattan Project’ of our time.”
“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,” Trump said in a statement Tuesday night.
Musk said at a pre-election rally at Madison Square Garden that he can eliminate at least $2 trillion from the federal budget.
“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’s statement read.
Ramaswamy had signaled that he wouldn’t seek a position within Trump’s administration because he was mulling a bid to either replace Vice President-elect J.D. Vance as senator in Ohio or run for Ohio governor in 2026. A finite end date would still allow for the latter.
“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,” Trump said.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.