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10 minutes ago
US President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he has tapped Tesla owner and world’s richest man Elon Musk to lead a new Department of Government Effectiveness with former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy .
Together, these two wonderful Americans will lead the way for my administration to dismantle government bureaucracy, cut excessive regulations, cut wasteful spending, and restructure federal agencies – which is essential to the ‘Save America’ movement,” said Mr. Trump in a statement.
The Department of Government Effectiveness will be known by the abbreviation Doge, according to Mr. Trump, an apparent reference to the cryptocurrency Dogecoin, which Mr. Musk has supported as “the people’s cryptocurrency.”
Musk donated $200 million to Trump’s campaign and was one of his main public presidential supporters.
Ramaswamy, for his part, ran against Trump for the Republican nomination in the primaries, subsequently becoming one of Trump’s strongest supporters.
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“Does it threaten democracy? No. It threatens bureaucracy,” Musk reacted by declaring on his social network X, as soon as the news was announced.
He later added that all actions of the new department will be published online, for “maximum transparency”.
“If the public thinks we are removing something important or not removing what is unnecessary, let us know,” the Tesla founder said.
He added that there would also be a ranking of the “most incredibly stupid spending of your tax money”. “It will be extremely tragic and entertaining,” he added, in his usual provocative style.
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“We will not do things smoothly,” warned Mr. Ramaswamy on the same social network.
At the time, the billionaire proposed a series of sweeping reforms, including the abolition of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
“A business approach to governance”.
According to Mr. Trump, Musk and Ramaswamy will have the power to make sweeping changes in government spending.
“It will become, potentially, the Manhattan Project of our time,” the president-elect said, referring to the US program to develop the first atomic bomb.
It is unclear what form this new department will take, but it appears that it will be located outside of formal government structures.
“The Department of Government Effectiveness will provide advice and guidance outside of government,” the statement said, with the aim of “creating a never-before-seen entrepreneurial approach to government.”
Mr. Trump said the new entity should complete its work by July 4, 2026, America’s Independence Day.
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Musk’s key backer
Mr. Musk, who previously cultivated an image as an eccentric tech genius on the fringes of politics, threw his full support behind Mr. Trump’s campaign after the latter survived an assassination attempt at a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania, July 13.
In full view of the American public, the 53-year-old South African tycoon invested his time, operational expertise and deep pockets to elect the Republican, which is rare among the American economic elite, which prefers traditionally influence politics behind the scenes.
As one of the president-elect’s top backers, the tech billionaire has donated tens of millions of dollars to fund a Super PAC aimed at re-electing Trump.
He also spent the final weeks leading up to Election Day leading a campaign to mobilize voters in the warring states, including distributing $1 million a day to citizens of those territories who registered to vote. electoral.
The prize, which was distributed by drawing lots, was the subject of a legal challenge, which was later thrown out by a judge.
Since Trump won the election, shares of Musk’s companies have soared, further increasing his wealth.
Since Trump won the election, shares of Musk’s companies have soared, further increasing his fortune.
His close relationship with Trump could present a complex conflict of interest, some analysts say, given the billions of dollars in government contracts that Musk-owned SpaceX and Tesla have received and could receive.
