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Trump Confirms Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy To Lead Department Of Government Efficiency

Automotive News reports that President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will lead a new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) assigned to “dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.”

For those who aren’t as plugged into internet culture as X CEO Elon Musk, the “DOGE” acronym representing the Department of Government Efficiency is a play on a Shiba Inu meme that’s been circulating the internet in various forms since the early 2010s. It’s also a reference to the Dogecoin ($DOGE) cryptocurrency – one that’s regularly promoted by Musk – which has increased in value by approximately 140 percent between election day and the time of this writing.

Donald Trump said DOGE will partner with the White House Office of Management and Budget and conclude its work no later than July 4th, 2026, the semi-quincentennial date of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Trump appointee Elon Musk.

“This will send shockwaves through the system and anyone involved in Government waste, which is a lot of people,” Elon Musk said in a statement on Tuesday. The Tesla CEO predicts that he can slash at least $2 trillion from the U.S. federal budget, a substantial figure that exceeds the entirety of Congress’s discretionary spending in 2023.

For reference, the government spent approximately $6.2 trillion in the last fiscal year. $3.8 trillion was mandatory spending, $1.7 trillion was discretionary spending, and the rest was interest on the debt. Mandatory spending is determined by existing laws and pays for entitlements like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, while discretionary spending is subject to annual review and adjustment.

As this relates to cars, the federal EV tax credit is actually part of the mandatory spending in the government’s budget because it was established through tax legislation when President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law in 2022. Repealing the tax credit would require an act of Congress and a signature from President Trump, but it’s possible when Republicans have control of both the Executive and Legislative branches starting in 2025.

George is an automotive journalist with soft spots for classic GM muscle cars, Corvettes, and Geo.

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Comments

  1. Long overdue! LFG!

    Reply
    1. Be careful what you wish for. You may get it.

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    2. You’re gonna love it when they get rid of the FDA and corporations will be allowed to just poison you without any government oversight.

      Or when they dismantle the FAA and air traffic safety goes to shlt.

      Or when they get rid of OSHA and corporation can force people to work in unsafe conditions and of course they want to dismantle any social safety nets and the ACA, so forget about workmen’s comp or being able to afford healthcare.

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    3. Amen! This is a great development, and anyone who pays taxes should be happy about it. Far too long the bureaucrat class has looked at the taxpayers as sheep to be sheared, fleeced for $$ for their pet projects.

      Let’s get the government back to setting boundaries, creating and supporting infrastructure, and get the hell out of the way otherwise.

      This includes an ending to all EV mandates, battery EV subsidies, and ideally CAFE.

      Reply
  2. Yep, all the thousands and thousands of people who have dedicated their lives to low-wage public service jobs in hopes of getting a measly retirement to live off of are about to be kicked to the curb with not even a thank you. Not to mention the draft-dodging orange buffoon with no comprehension of selfless service is about to do the same thing on the military side — happy veteran’s day!

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    1. 👍👍👍

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    2. Most federal employees with 10+ years of service make 6 figures. As a state employee I made 140k last year.

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    3. elon said they would give the said released employees a year of salary, so far from kicked to the curb.

      and if they determine the job is needed, theyll bring it back

      Reply
  3. Presidents don’t have the power to establish new departments or provide funding for new departments.

    Any appointees to head a department must divest of any conflicts of interests.

    There is already a department that is dedicated to oversight of government spending and efficiency. The GAO.

    Reply
    1. Funny. Yet ANOTHER Fed agency. To be funded, staffed, and paid for. And with TWO heads? That’s “Efficient”?
      But with Matt Gaetz as Attorney General and a Red majority in Congress, Americas first Dictator will have little trouble getting it done.

      Reply
  4. Elon bought himself a seat at the table to get rid of all the different investigations into his companies including the NHTSA investigations into FSD safety and testing.

    This is 3rd world country level corruption.

    Reply
    1. 👍
      If it weren’t for US Govt. Carbon Offsets Tesla would have closed years ago. Credits from a Govenment he will now be slashing and burning.
      When the Enron level crash for Tesla comes, he’ll be pardoned. This is the reason he bought himself a President.
      He sold Teslas to all the Dems now Conservatives will be buying them.
      You’re welcome, Elon.

      Reply
  5. Several of my family members agree that Trump won’t make it past one year because of this exact move. Hope that’s true. What on earth does Elon want to do with the government, I have to ask? Trump is anti-EV. Looser regs for Tesla?

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    1. When you say “won’t make it”, what do you mean? Unless he’s impeached (again), convicted, and removed from office (impossible with a Red majority in Congress) he’s not going anywhere.
      As for Elon, remember in addition to Tesla, Space X is his as well as Star Link; both with large and lucrative US Govt contracts. (I doubt he and what’s-his-name will find anything to cut THERE!) This fact alone should disqualify him from a Govt position like this. Perhaps he’ll divest? A true Patriot would.

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      1. He is an obese 78-year-old man with a poor diet. I would be surprised if he made it all four years.

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        1. How much you want to put down on that bet? Last I saw, he was doing 3-4X the rallys of 60YO Kamala, who was complaining about sleep and taking full days off. If trump is in poor health, I must be dead already 😂😂😂

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          1. @ Steve
            AGREED! Does anyone realize how much of our tax payer MONEY is waisted on our corrupt government. Having two gentlemen that obviously know how to manage money (billionaires) is a brilliant move!!

            I love reading the comments from people who have been manipulated by the corrupt government, MSNBC, CNN, CBS, ABC, NBC, and celebrities. They believe all the lies, and can’t think for themselves. “FOLLOWERS”

            For all of us FREE THINKING individuals, life is going to get really good the coming 4 years!! And then these “followers” will wake up and see for themselves. And we will be laughing and saying “I told you so” in their faces.

            Reply
          2. It’s amazing what snorting Adderal will do for an elderly person.

            Reply
  6. Give me a break guys. They aren’t going to abolish the government, they are going to trim some fat. We can’t sustain this path we are currently on, literally can’t afford it anymore. Also, a lot of people woke up during covid with government overreach. We need this right now. Most people, regardless of the candidate they voted for, recognized and said that we were on the wrong path.

    Reply
    1. John;
      As a “Light Blue” Dem, I do agree that something’s gotta give. No argument there.
      My problem is with the hipocracy of establishing yet another Federal Agency, then charge it with cutting costs at all the others! Add to that the blatant corruption of choosing 2 people that have such GLARING conflicts of intetest to lead it. Both with power to deregulate their own companies and profit as a result.

      This all looks like the Russia under Putin. Loyalists appointed and enriched.

      0 0 i Rate This Comment

      Reply
  7. John you and all the other Trump supporters, don’t have a clue what is unfolding before your eyes. Give us Barabas, America said! Don’t worry, you won’t regret it just yet.

    Reply
    1. We’ve seen what the WEF, Blackrock, Vanguard, and State Street crowd wants. No thank you.

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    2. I live in the greater NYC metropolitan area (specifically in northern NJ), had a democrat upbringing, and commute into NYC for my job. And governor Hochul, recently (as predictable) announced her plan to revive the highly opposed and highly controversial congestion pricing for cars entering lower Manhattan after shelving the idea leading into the election. A $9 toll for cars, delivery vehicles, and just about everything else (other than busses I believe) entering the island of Manhattan from 60th street and below which is slated to rise to $23 after just 3 years. A plan that nobody, I repeat NOBODY except the dems in power over at Albany and City Hall Park asked for. The plan is to have yet another stream of revenue for the Metropolitan Transit Authority, which is endlessly having money issues to the point that the common joke for the MTA is it stands for Money Thrown Away. I’ve been hearing about MTAs money problems since I was a kid and I am 40 years old now. Since the last Republican that took office in Albany, not one democrat did anything to look into the endless budget holes nor do anything to audit the MTA. Instead the solution is keep raising the fare on working New Yorkers and add more means to tax them.

      Fast forward to today, the MTA is struggling to get their ridership back after the Dems forced lockdowns upon the city due to Covid and now, millions of New York employees realize they can just work from home and not entertain the wasteful transit agency. Many businesses have also opted to downgrade or leave the NYC office scene altogether. And the dems solution to this? Tax New York employees more. Make it even less desirable to work in the city. Actually, it will mostly land up being a tax on native New Yorkers because I as a consultant, will simply price it into my bill should I have to drive into the city. So now tell me. How am I supposed to believe dems are the party for the working American when I am being treated like an ATM machine all the while the money getting sucked out of us hard working New Yorkers and at the same time crime is increasingly rampant in the subways and streets? Giuliani and Bloomberg cleaned up NYC. It only took the next blue bozo (Bill DiBLassio) to completely ruin the city and the clown in power now literally threw his hands up in the air and washed them of the problem.

      I don’t care for Trump. But since Trump came into power the dems have showed a very ugly side of their own party and have really shown to me, once a democrat, that they couldn’t give two s*** for the working class.

      Reply
  8. Drill baby drill

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  9. Opens comments. HAHAHAHAHA!!! Look at all these cry babies. I guess people are happy with trillions of dollars of debt, a weak economy, high grocery prices, and government overreach. What a bunch of buffoons. Its going to be an amazing 4 years watching these liberal heads explode. I cannot wait. I hope the federal government gets gutted. Too many 3 letter useless organizations and too much fraud, waste, and abuse. LET’S GO!!! MAGA!!!

    Reply
    1. During Trump’s first term in office the federal deficit increased by $7.8 trillion, the most per year by any president. Another example of trickle down economics failing to live up to expectations. Thank the GOP.

      Reply
      1. People would serve themselves well to pick up a few books about Germany in the 1930’s. I suggest start with “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. The similarities of what we are experiencing will keep you awake at night!

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      2. You’re right but you’re leaving out an important piece of the problem. He had to blow almost 4 trillion in one year because of COVID. You and all of your ilk were screaming bloody murder to shut everything down and pay everyone, so he didn’t have much choice. We’re still paying for that today and will be for the rest of our lives.

        Reply
    2. Let’s see…The national debt had risen by almost $7.8 trillion during Trump’s time in office. President Biden turned the economy around. High food prices are not controlled by the President. It was mostly corporate greed that did after the supply chain issues were fixed. I hope you like dirtier air, food and water, no oversight of corporations’s greed, and unsafe air travel. This is what you voted for!

      Reply
  10. Most of y’all are not in the correct wealth class to be celebrating. They only care about about the billionaire class.

    Reply
    1. Oh, you demanded and received everyone’s tax returns?

      Reply
    2. You are out of touch my friend. The Ds have become the party of the elite.

      Did you not see the USA Today article that 83 billionaires supported D and 52 R? Do you understand who and what Soros, Gates, the WEF, Blackrock, Vanguard, and State Street support and how many trillions of dollars they control? Do you understand the system they use to do so? Do you not see moderate Ds flocking to the Rs? There is even a shift of voters in California and NY. Union members are swinging now, too.

      The controlled legacy media is dying. Ds are saying they want their own Joe Rogan now. They HAD Rogan before they went too far left, they left Rogan behind along with MANY other now former Ds. Ds are saying they want to create their own podcasts and youtube channels now to complete. They don’t understand that the reason people left the legacy media for more independent content creators was bc they were tired of the obvious propaganda by the controlled main stream media. People didn’t go to youtube or spotify for the apps, they went because they were sick of being lied/preached to by the main stream media and found genuine people having authentic conversations in other places. Same reason Hollywood is dying.

      Also, look at stats of on the % of Ds in academia vs Rs. It’s STAGGERING.

      I could keep going in many different directions, but that’s a start for you. I think you missed what this election was all about.

      Reply
      1. Exactly. To me, the actions of the dems as of late have been more alarming to someone who is anti-authoritarian than Trumps. From Kamala being anointed without a primary election completely disregarding the choice of the people, to the concerning levels of censorship on left-leaning media, to their campaign alienating and demonizing white men (and then they wonder why they lost), to their forceful policies against popular support (like congestion pricing in NYC), to their tribalism (I would argue worse than Trump supporters, my wife is a diehard dem and she virtually tarred and feathered me not because I voted Trump, I didn’t, but because I voted third party), and to their forceful lockdowns putting thousands of businesses that were around for decades out of business and causing the insane inflation we had by throwing money at the problem they caused.

        Reply
      2. I also wanted to add to the last item listed, their overall willingness to burn down the country just to stick it to Trump is more authoritarian and alarming in my eyes.

        Had to add this separate because they removed the ability to edit a posted comment.

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  11. Your entire comment argues against itself. Yes, informed people (including those that have been very successful in business) are more likely to be Democratic leaning and less susceptible to the emotional, fear-based propaganda pushed by the orange-one. You also can’t gauge a generic party affiliation by using the presidential vote with the polar opposites offered this year.

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    1. “You also can’t gauge a generic party affiliation by using the presidential vote with the polar opposites offered this year.” I would agree, but the American people have made it very clear what they wanted this time. It’s not just the Presidential electoral vote, it’s the popular vote, the Senate, the House, a majority of the governors even. My local area has been very purple for a long time. To the candidate locally, every single R won. People have had a enough.

      Reply
      1. New Jersey is generally deep blue. But for this election, it missed being purple by only 249K votes. They said the race in NJ hasn’t been this close since 32 years.

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  12. Kamala Harris campaign fund. That’s the way the Dems ran the country. Argument ended.

    Reply
  13. The guardrails have been removed and there will be no adults in the room to highlight the legal, ethical, or moral ramifications for what is likely to happen with the new administration.
    Grifters are going to grift and the 99% will be left holding the bag.

    Reply
  14. If I remember correctly, I may not, slashing budgets and cutting government spending usually means it moves to private companies, and then the government pays them even more than they were spending. Private Prisons, Private Police Departments, Private Landscaping, Private Military, Private anything that a government used to do will cost more and make the friends of the government officials and the lobbyists extremely wealthy – again. If I remember correctly. It is good to be given a contract, makes you rich. And the government then technically, became more efficient.

    Reply
  15. Wait…..
    Complain about bloated, inefficient government; so create ANOTHER government department?????

    Reply
    1. Watch how many departments and programs one new department will cut. As any businessperson will tell you, “You have to spend money to make money”.

      Reply
  16. Hope there is “blood in the street” of D.C. from all the budget cutting. If you do not give it to the departments, they will not waste it.
    Cut Baby Cut!
    Never underestimate a person’s ability to waste another person’s hard earned money.

    Reply

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