President-elect Donald Trump has moved quickly in building his administration, naming SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a new initiative called the “Department of Government Efficiency.”
Trump clarified the initiative’s mission in a statement, emphasizing that Musk and Ramaswamy would work “outside of Government” alongside the White House and the Office of Management & Budget.
Their objective is to “drive large scale [sic] structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.”
Trump, who likened the effort to the historic Manhattan Project, quoted Musk’s ambition to “send shockwaves through the system,” targeting “anyone involved in Government waste, which is a lot of people!”
In his remarks, Trump praised Musk and Ramaswamy, stating, “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.”
The 78-year-old president-elect selected Ramaswamy, 39, despite his previous primary challenge, recognizing his commitment to Trump’s reform agenda.
A source close to the transition team noted Ramaswamy has “been with Elon all week” following Trump’s second-term victory over Vice President Kamala Harris.
