Trump Taps Musk, Ramaswamy To Improve "Efficiency," Slash Federal Budget

Donald Trump has announced that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will lead a new initiative, the Department of Government Efficiency.

Trump did not clarify whether the new department is intended as an official government body or how Musk and Ramaswamy would staff it to reduce the federal workforce. I Photo: Vivek Ramaswamy Facebook

He described it as the “Manhattan Project” of this era, aimed at driving “drastic change” throughout the government, with plans for major cuts and increased efficiency across federal agencies, as reported by Michael D. Shear and Eric Lipton for The New York Times.

“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 wrote in a statement.

“I am confident they will succeed!” Currently, there are 438 federal agencies, and creating another department might add an extra layer of bureaucracy.

The statement, however, left major questions unanswered, including whether this initiative is fully serious or merely aspirational in scope.

For example, Trump did not clarify whether the new department is intended as an official government body or how Musk and Ramaswamy would staff it to reduce the federal workforce.

Musk, who became one of Trump’s largest campaign donors, previously pledged to help the president-elect cut $2 trillion from the federal budget. However, he did not detail how this would be achieved or specify which government areas would face cuts.

“This will send shockwaves through the system, and everyone involved in government waste—which is a lot of people!” Musk said.

Economists have criticized Musk’s plan, arguing that cutting $2 trillion, or 12.5% of the federal budget, could severely impair government operations.

Musk, who is known for his bold but often unfulfilled promises, such as achieving full self-driving capabilities and mass-producing robotaxis, has yet to demonstrate a detailed plan. Additionally, he has faced criticism for his anti-labor stance.