What is DOGE, the new department Musk and Ramaswamy will lead under the Trump administration?
(NEXSTAR) – Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will join forces to lead a newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (or DOGE, for short), President-elect Donald Trump announced. But what will the department do?
Named in an apparent nod to the meme cryptocurrency dogecoin, DOGE is not actually a government agency. Instead, it will work outside the government to "dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies," Trump said in a statement.
The specifics of how the department will operate aren't yet known, but it's clear its two leads, Musk and Ramaswamy, will wield influence under the Trump administration, partnering with the Office of Management and Budget and advising the president.
"It will become, potentially, 'The Manhattan Project' of our time," Trump said.
DOGE is on a deadline. It will finish work by July 4, 2026, according to Trump's statement.
"A smaller Government, with more efficiency and less bureaucracy, will be the perfect gift to America on the 250th Anniversary of The Declaration of Independence," he wrote.
Musk, billionaire founder of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy, another entrepreneur, threw his support behind Trump since suspending his own campaign for the presidency in January.
In the wake of the announcement, Ramaswamy said they would start "crowdsourcing examples" of fraud and waste, and pursue a "massive downsizing" of the government. One place he suggested starting with is defunding programs that Congress hasn't reauthorized.
"We shouldn’t let the government spend money on programs that have expired. Yet that’s exactly what happens today: half a *trillion* dollars of taxpayer funds ($516 B+) goes each year to programs which Congress has allowed to expire. There are 1,200+ programs that are no longer authorized but still receive appropriations. This is totally nuts. We can & should save hundreds of billions each year by defunding government programs that Congress no longer authorizes," he wrote on X.
Musk said he sought to "delete the mountain of choking regulations that do not serve the greater good," but didn't immediately divulge specifics in his post on X.
Musk at one point suggested he could find more than $2 trillion in savings — nearly a third of total annual government spending.
DOGE could come under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, which dictates how external groups that advise the government must operate and be accountable to the public.
Federal employees are generally required to disclose their assets and entanglements to ward off any potential conflicts of interest, and to divest significant holdings relating to their work. Because Musk and Ramaswamy would not be formal federal workers, they would not face those requirements or ethical limitations.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Topics
-
FTC opens Microsoft antitrust investigation that Trump administration must carry on or drop
Antitrust enforcers with the Federal Trade Commission have opened a wide-ranging investigation into Microsoft’s business practices, starting off a big legal project that an incoming Trump ...ABC News - 19h -
Who is Kash Patel, Trump's pick to lead the FBI?
Kash Patel, one of President-elect Donald Trump's most loyal supporters, is his pick to lead the FBI. If confirmed by the Senate, Patel has vowed to overhaul the agency. Chris Piehota, retired FBI ...CBS News - 15h -
Parts of New York buried under 50 inches of snow
Dangerous wintry weather is hitting the Great Lakes region, where snow totals are approaching six feet — and it's still coming down. Meanwhile, the eastern half of the country is shivering from a ...CBS News - 16h -
What the leading ‘just war’ theorist says about the strategies of Hamas and Israel
Michael Walzer argues that Hamas’s strategy in the Gaza war is to deliberately “put civilians at risk for political gain.”The Hill - 1h -
Audit firms sharpen knives for oversight panel under Trump
Threat to accounting board is greatest since it was created in the wake of the Enron audit scandal, accounting veterans sayFinancial Times - 2h -
How Private Funds Could Hurt Americans Under Trump
The fund managers who backed Donald Trump’s candidacy have welcomed his victory with calls for new directions in policy.The New York Times - 2h -
What to know about the Smoot-Hawley tariffs and their role in the Great Depression
The measure helped worsen the Great Depression, experts said.ABC News - 18h -
Inefficient and reckless: Why DOGE could be so dangerous
The idea that slashing federal agencies is a magic bullet for achieving good governance is as wrong-headed as it is simplistic.The Hill - 1h -
Jaguar reveals 'Type 00' concept car, first under controversial new brand identity
Famed British carmaker Jaguar revealed its new vehicle design direction Monday night with the introduction of an all-electric concept car called "Type 00."CNBC - 16h -
Scottie Pippen Mocked for Post About Elon Musk on the Bulls
Scottie Pippen, a basketball star turned crypto fanatic, posted about how many championships Chicago would have won with Mr. Musk. The answers weren’t kind.The New York Times - 19h
More from The Hill
-
South Korean parliament blocks president's martial law declaration
The Hill - 39m -
Judge reaffirms ruling invalidating massive Tesla pay package for Musk
The Hill - 45m -
Biden was right to pardon his son and he should do a lot more before it’s too late
The Hill - 49m -
California lawmakers unveil new abortion protections ahead of Trump return to White House
The Hill - 50m -
Judge closes Hunter Biden gun case after presidential pardon
The Hill - 59m