By TrumpG 
In a move that has stirred both excitement and controversy, President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday the appointment of Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to head the newly established Government Efficiency Department (DOGE). This decision grants significant influence to Musk, the world’s wealthiest individual.
The newly formed DOGE will be jointly led by Musk and Ramaswamy, a former Republican presidential candidate. Trump stated the department’s mission is to “pave the way for my administration to dismantle government bureaucracy, cut unnecessary regulations, reduce wasteful spending, and restructure federal agencies.”
Trump emphasized that this new department will fulfill longstanding Republican aspirations and “provide outside advice and guidance.” Notably, the roles of Musk and Ramaswamy will be informal, bypassing Senate confirmation and allowing Musk to retain his leadership positions at Tesla, X (formerly Twitter), and SpaceX.
DOGE will collaborate closely with the White House and the Office of Management and Budget to “initiate major structural reforms and create an entrepreneurial approach” to government operations, a strategy Trump claims is unprecedented.
As the world’s richest man, according to Forbes, Musk is poised to benefit significantly from Trump’s victory. His influence is anticipated to be substantial, potentially securing favorable governmental treatment for his companies.
Trump likened this efficiency drive to the Manhattan Project, America’s groundbreaking atomic bomb endeavor during World War II, while Musk pledged transparency. “All actions of the Government Efficiency Department will be posted online for maximum transparency,” Musk announced on X, inviting public input.
The acronym DOGE coincidentally matches the name of the cryptocurrency Dogecoin, which Musk has publicly supported. In August, Musk and Tesla successfully dismissed a federal lawsuit alleging they defrauded investors by promoting Dogecoin and engaging in insider trading.
Ramaswamy, a pharmaceutical entrepreneur, initially competed against Trump for the Republican presidential nomination before endorsing him.
In a separate announcement, Trump selected Fox News commentator and veteran Pete Hegseth as his Secretary of Defense. If confirmed by the Senate, Hegseth could fulfill Trump’s campaign promises to remove military generals he accused of implementing progressive diversity policies.
Trump lauded the 44-year-old NATO skeptic and National Guard veteran, stating, “With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice—our military will be great again, and America will never back down.”
Hegseth, who has previously voiced criticisms of NATO allies and concerns about China’s growing influence, claimed he left the military in 2021 due to being sidelined for his political and religious views.
Concerns are mounting within the Pentagon regarding Trump’s intentions to remove military officers and career officials deemed disloyal.
