US President-elect Donald Trump is expected to bring significant changes to the country’s governance style. Experts say that from structural reforms to new policies, the Trump administration will make a major change in the way the US is governed. One such initiative is the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), announced by Trump on Wednesday. The new department will be headed by billionaire Elon Musk and Indian-American businessman Vivek Ramaswamy.
Department of Government Efficiency Là Gì?
The Department of Government Efficiency will be a new division within the Trump White House administration. According to Trump, the department will not operate as a federal agency but will operate outside of the government, working with the White House and the Office of Management and Budget to provide guidance on a variety of fronts.
“DOGE will pave the way for my administration to dismantle government bureaucracy, cut unnecessary regulations, cut wasteful spending, and restructure federal agencies,” Trump said.
“I look forward to Elon and Vivek making changes to the federal bureaucracy, focusing on efficiency, while working to improve the lives of all Americans,” he added.
Trump described DOGE as having the potential to become the “Manhattan Project” of our time. The original Manhattan Project, conducted during World War II, was a top-secret research initiative that led to the creation of the first nuclear weapons.
On Tuesday, Musk announced, "All actions taken by the Department of Government Efficiency will be made public online for complete transparency." He further noted on X, "If the public thinks we're cutting anything important or not eliminating wasteful spending, let us know!" Musk also introduced a "ranking board" to highlight the government's most wasteful spending, calling it "both incredibly tragic and incredibly interesting."
Vivek Ramaswamy, who ran for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination before dropping out and endorsing Trump in January, responded on X, "We will not go down lightly, @elonmusk."
What Does Elon Musk Care About Here?
Experts say Elon Musk's extensive involvement in the White House, along with his multimillion-dollar contributions to Trump's campaign, are part of a broader strategy to secure influence over the regulators overseeing his companies.
“That would essentially give the world’s richest man and a major government contractor the power to manage the regulatory agencies that influence his company, leading to potentially huge conflicts of interest,” stated an October 20, 2024, New York Times article.
Musk’s rocket company, SpaceX, reportedly plays a major role in shaping NASA’s launch schedule, effectively wielding significant influence. Additionally, the Department of Defense relies on SpaceX to deploy the majority of its satellites. Last year alone, Musk’s companies were awarded nearly $3 billion across nearly 100 contracts with 17 federal agencies.
At the same time, Musk’s businesses have often clashed with federal regulators. His companies are currently under investigation in at least 20 separate probes, ranging from safety concerns surrounding Tesla cars to the environmental impact of SpaceX rocket launches.