Trump picks Musk and Ramaswamy to lead new "Department of Government Efficiency"

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that Elon Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will helm the newly established Department of Government Efficiency.

In his statement, Trump said that Musk and Ramaswamy "will pave the way for my administration to dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies." Their mandate is to streamline federal operations, introducing more agile and effective governance.

Trump set a July 4, 2026 deadline for their work, framing the initiative as a “gift” to the nation on the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Musk, currently the CEO of Tesla, social media platform X, and SpaceX, is a high-profile tech innovator, while Ramaswamy, founder of a biotech company, previously ran against Trump for the Republican nomination and later endorsed him.

Musk also made significant donations to support Trump's campaign and appeared with him publicly, leading Trump to pledge a prominent role for Musk in his administration focused on government efficiency.

* The New York Post contributed to this article.