Democracy Dies in Darkness

Trump taps Musk, Ramaswamy to oversee ‘drastic’ changes to U.S. government

The president-elect described the new commission as a “Manhattan Project” to dramatically slash regulations, cut staff and “restructure” federal agencies. It is unclear how such an effort would be funded or run.

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Elon Musk speaks at a Donald Trump campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York on Oct. 27. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)
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President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he is appointing business executives Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a new commission on cutting government spending and regulation, handing an enormous portfolio to the tech billionaire who gave political and financial support to his presidential bid.

In a statement, Trump said that his billionaire ally and his former Republican primary rival will lead the Department of Government Efficiency, an idea championed by Musk. Trump said the department would operate outside of government to drive “drastic change,” while partnering with the White House and its budget office to provide recommendations to slash regulations, cut staff and overhaul federal operations. Musk has adopted the nickname “DOGE” for the commission, a reference to a meme-based cryptocurrency he also touted.