Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy Join Trump to Lead New Government

In a bold move, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has appointed billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to head the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The department aims to streamline federal government processes, eliminate bureaucratic red tape, and reduce wasteful spending by at least $2 trillion. Trump likened the initiative to the Manhattan Project and stated that this “outside the government” approach is designed to cut through inefficiencies without Senate oversight.

Musk, who contributed millions to Trump’s campaign, promises that the DOGE will operate transparently, with plans to display its actions online and even create a public leaderboard to showcase “the most insanely dumb spending of your tax dollars.” Ramaswamy, who previously ran against Trump in the Republican primaries, will co-lead the department, though he has withdrawn from consideration for a U.S. Senate seat in Ohio as part of the new role.

The department’s informal nature allows Musk to remain in charge of his companies Tesla, SpaceX, and social media platform X. Public Citizen, a consumer rights group, expressed concerns about Musk’s role, calling it “the ultimate corporate corruption.” DOGE’s work is set to conclude by July 4, 2026, coinciding with the U.S.’s 250th Independence Day celebration.