Tipsheet

It's Happening: Trump Tasks Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to Lead Department of Government Efficiency

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  November 12, 2024 7:50 PM

This piece has been updated to include another post from Vivek Ramaswamy about other political endeavors.

During the 2024 election, President-elect Donald Trump had the enthusiastic support from Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, the latter who had once been a primary opponent. After Musk's frequent references to being involved in a department to do with government efficiency, which our own Kurt Schlichter predicted, the Trump-Vance transition team made it official with a statement on Tuesday night. 

According to the statement, Musk, in conjunction with his American Patriot PAC, and Ramaswamy, will lead the Department of Government Efficiency, also known as "DOGE." The statement also included a quote from Musk himself, who declared that "This will send shockwaves through the system, and anyone involved in Government waste, which is a lot of people!"

As the full statement read:

I am pleased to announce that the Great Elon Musk, working in conjunction with American Patriot Vivek Ramaswamy, will lead the Department of Government Efficiency (“DOGE”). Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies - Essential to the “Save America” Movement. “This will send shockwaves through the system, and anyone involved in Government waste, which is a lot of people!” stated Mr. Musk.

It will become, potentially, “The Manhattan Project” of our time. Republican politicians have dreamed about the objectives of “DOGE” for a very long time. To drive this kind of drastic change, the Department of Government Efficiency will provide advice and guidance from outside of Government, and will partner with the White House and Office of Management & Budget to drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.

I look forward to Elon and Vivek making changes to the Federal Bureaucracy with an eye on efficiency and, at the same time, making life better for all Americans. Importantly, we will drive out the massive waste and fraud which exists throughout our annual $6.5 Trillion Dollars of Government Spending. They will work together to liberate our Economy, and make the U.S. Government accountable to “WE THE PEOPLE.” Their work will conclude no later than July 4, 2026 - 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. I am confident they will succeed!

The statement also made reference to America's 250th birthday celebrating, noting that Ramaswamy and Musk will have concluded their work by July 4, 2026, on that 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. 

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Musk was a frequent guest for the Trump-Vance rallies in the final weeks of the campaign, appearing in places such as Butler, Pennsylvania, as well as at Trump's October 27 rally at Madison Square Garden. 

Ramaswamy shared the statement over his X account, also noting, "We will not go quietly," complete with a tag of Musk and the American flag. 

Later in the evening, Ramaswamy also posted that such a role means he is removing his name from consideration to replace Vice President-Elect JD Vance, who currently serves as a U.S. Senator representing Ohio. He was elected to the role in 2022.

"And yes, this means I’m withdrawing myself from consideration for the pending Senate appointment in Ohio. Whoever Governor DeWine appoints to JD’s seat has some big shoes to fill. I will help them however I can," Ramaswamy posted, still signaling a willingness to help.