What is DOGE, the Department Musk and Ramaswamy Will Lead Under the Trump Administration?*
Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are set to co-lead the newly announced Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), President-elect Donald Trump revealed. Despite its name referencing the meme cryptocurrency Dogecoin, DOGE is not a formal government agency. Instead, it will operate externally to “dismantle bureaucracy, slash regulations, cut wasteful spending, and restructure federal agencies,” according to Trump’s statement.
The department aims to finish its work by July 4, 2026, aligning with America’s 250th anniversary of independence. Trump called it potentially the “Manhattan Project of our time,” emphasizing the goal of a leaner, more efficient government.
Musk and Ramaswamy’s influence will extend through partnerships with the Office of Management and Budget and direct advisement to the president. While specifics remain unclear, Ramaswamy has proposed starting with defunding over $516 billion annually allocated to programs Congress hasn’t reauthorized, calling it “totally nuts.” Musk has promised to “delete the mountain of choking regulations” and suggested savings could exceed $2 trillion, nearly a third of the federal budget.
DOGE may fall under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, which governs external government advisory groups. However, since Musk and Ramaswamy are not federal employees, they won't be bound by standard ethical requirements like disclosing assets or avoiding conflicts of interest.
The ambitious DOGE initiative represents a significant shift in governance, promising a dramatic overhaul of government inefficiency under Trump’s administration.
And we all know it’s a huge ad to Dogecoin.
