Peter Navarro, former trade adviser to Donald Trump in his first presidential administration, told Newsmax on Tuesday that Elon Musk is putting a "whole new spin" on cutting costs and reducing federal waste ahead of the president-elect's second administration.
Trump has signaled a role for Musk in a government efficiency capacity, though nothing has been formalized yet. However, Navarro told "Carl Higbie FRONTLINE" that Musk is already putting an "AI spin" on combating inefficiency.
"Elon Musk is going to come in. He's cut, I think, 80% of his staff at Twitter. And we haven't noticed a difference; it's probably better now," Navarro said. "And the beauty of it, from an economist point of view, which is what I do, is it's called a supply side shock. If we're able to dramatically reduce government agencies and bureaucracies, that would be a supply side shock, which will cut down the costs of government and help control this inflation.
"It's what [Ronald] Reagan did, all supply side economics. Elon's putting a whole new spin on this. It's kind of like an AI spin, a new tech spin. It's a beautiful thing. And it can be done," Navarro added.
Navarro, who is yet to have a role in Trump's new administration, at least publicly, said he witnessed waste firsthand when COVID-19 struck in 2020.
"When the pandemic hit … it got to where I was having to go to the Department of Health and Human Services like every other day for the special task force meetings to make sure people had the ventilators and the masks and all that stuff. It was a freaking ghost town!" Navarro told Higbie. "The Health and Human Services staff were nowhere to be found in the middle of a pandemic.
"And now the whole Washington routine is to stay home … the government agencies and [Mayor] Muriel Bowser in D.C. is all for that kind of stuff. So, there's so much to do."
About NEWSMAX TV:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America!
- Find Newsmax channel in your home via cable and satellite systems – More Info Here
- Watch Newsmax+ on your home TV app or smartphone and watch it anywhere! Try it for FREE -- See More Here: NewsmaxPlus.com
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.