Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have reportedly begun deploying representatives of their "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE) to more than a dozen federal agencies in preparation to implement significant government spending cuts.
DOGE, which is not part of the government—has been tasked by President-elect Donald Trump with streamlining government spending as part of Trump's broader goal to radically restructure the federal government. The Internal Revenue Service, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Treasury and Veteran's Affairs are among the departments DOGE is targeting, according to the Washington Post.
With Trump's inauguration just over a week away, DOGE has hired over 50 staffers, with plans to expand to 100 employees by Inauguration Day on January 20. The developing team is operating out of SpaceX offices in Washington, D.C.
Musk, who donated approximately $275 million to Trump's campaign, has aggressively recruited for DOGE, seeking what he described on X (formerly Twitter) as "super high-IQ small-government revolutionaries willing to work 80+ hours per week."
Details of DOGE's funding have not been revealed, contributing to wariness amid skeptics of the initiative. Two government employees who spoke with the Washington Post under the condition of anonymity said Musk and Ramaswamy are regarded by many as arrogant and naive about the complexity of government.
Musk recently tested his impact on spending decisions by vocally criticizing a spending bill in Congress. While the bill left many of his targeted expenditures intact, it went through multiple final-hour revisions following his input.
Musk has proposed cutting $2 trillion in government spending, but acknowledged that achieving that target may not be realistic.
"I think we'll try for $2 trillion. I think that's, like, the best-case outcome," Musk said. "But I do think that you kind of have to have some overage. I think if we try for $2 trillion, we've got a good shot at getting $1 [trillion]."
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