What a time to be alive: Trump picks Musk to lead DOGE commission

And now, it’s time to reward loyalty. US President-elect Donald Trump has appointed billionaire Elon Musk – who enthusiastically supported his campaign – to lead a new commission on cutting government spending and regulation.

Musk will lead the new Department of Government Efficiency – which was his own idea – with Vivek Ramaswamy, another business executive who competed with Trump in the Republican primaries.

The billionaire and owner of SpaceX, Tesla, and social media platform X has adopted the nickname “DOGE” for the commission. That’s a reference to Dogecoin, a meme-based cryptocurrency Musk has endorsed and keeps hyping. Dogecoin is now shooting up in value, according to CNBC.

Knowing how ruthless Musk can be with layoffs, millions of federal workers can brace for the worst. Trump’s statement, published on X, says that the new operation will drive “drastic change.”

President Donald J. Trump announces the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — headed by @elonmusk and @VivekGRamaswamy pic.twitter.com/Ya2o45qlV8

undefined Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) November 13, 2024

“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,” Trump said in the statement.

Both Musk and Ramaswamy hate regulation and bureaucracy, even though Musk’s companies have received billions of dollars in government contracts and subsidies. Surprising no one, he specifically criticizes the regulation of his own firms.

During the presidential primaries, Ramaswamy envisioned radical cuts to the federal government, calling for reducing its workforce by more than 75%.

A few catches, though. First, DOGE, even if announced formally, will seemingly not be an official government agency that needs legislative approvals and funding – the statement said the new structure will “provide advice and guidance from outside of Government.”

So far, it’s not clear how DOGE will be funded, but at least some of the commission’s recommendations will probably be approved as the Republican party, itself in the grip of the MAGA movement, is poised to control the White House, Senate, and House.

Still, it remains to be seen how efficient the new commission will be in producing recommendations. While Congress must and probably will approve any changes to federal appropriations, the GOP might lose control of the Senate or the House after the next midterm elections in 2026.

Trump’s statement says that DOGE’s work must conclude no later than July 4th, 2026 which will be the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Is there enough time, especially if the aim really is – as Musk said during the campaign – to find $2 trillion in cuts to the federal budget, which is a sum far larger than the budgets of the Departments of Defense, Education, and Homeland Security combined?

According to economists quoted recently by The Washington Post, aiming for such deep cuts would be absurd and illogical because they would erode funding for programs Americans need and lawmakers from both parties are keen to protect.