"'Bureaucrat-Above-Power' Musk, Head of DOGE, Says He Will Rank Tax Waste (Comprehensive)"

Trump Nominates Musk and Ramaswamy for Government Efficiency Department Heads

"I will create a ranking table of the most absurd cases of tax waste." Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, who will serve as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the second term of the Donald Trump U.S. administration launching next January, has announced a sweeping reform of bureaucracy. Recognized as a key figure behind Trump's presidential victory, he will hold the budget and policy reins of the next administration, effectively becoming the 'most powerful among the powerful.'

On the 12th (local time), Musk CEO posted on X (formerly Twitter), "Let me know whenever you think we are cutting important things or not cutting waste." He explained that all activities would be made public online to maximize transparency. He also said he would create a 'leaderboard' ranking the most ridiculously foolish ways taxpayers' money has been spent, calling it "extremely tragic but extremely fun."

The post was made shortly after Trump announced the appointment of Musk CEO and pro-Trump entrepreneur politician Vivek Ramaswamy as heads of the newly established Department of Government Efficiency. On the same day, Trump issued a statement saying, "These two great Americans will work together to dismantle government bureaucracy, eliminate excessive regulations, reduce wasteful spending, and restructure federal agencies."

In particular, Trump likened the Department of Government Efficiency led by them to the "Manhattan Project," when the U.S. secretly developed nuclear weapons for the first time in human history during World War II, calling it "the core of the Save America movement." By appointing CEOs from the private sector to lead the new department, the aim is to break down bureaucracy and establish an entrepreneurial approach. Ramaswamy, who shares the leadership role with Musk CEO, is also a CEO who founded a biotechnology company. He ran as the youngest candidate in the Republican presidential primary but withdrew and has since shown overt pro-Trump loyalty, earning a reputation as a 'loyalist.'

AFP Yonhap News

Earlier, during his campaign, Trump had promised to launch a government efficiency and cost-cutting department headed by Musk CEO. Musk himself has pledged to cut at least $2 trillion from the federal budget, which is about one-third of the current budget.

The Guardian described the appointment as "a reward for two supporters who helped Trump from the private sector." Musk CEO established the super PAC 'America PAC' to support Trump's presidential victory, pouring in at least $132 million (about 185.6 billion KRW). Trump also praised Musk at his victory speech, saying, "We have a new star."

Notably, Trump drew attention by adopting DOGE, named after the cryptocurrency 'Dogecoin' once promoted by Musk CEO, as the department's abbreviation. Following the official announcement of the appointment, Dogecoin prices surged.

The Department of Government Efficiency, led by Musk CEO and Ramaswamy, will operate as an independent advisory committee. Since most of Musk's wealth is in stocks, and due to restrictions such as stock blind trusts, he reportedly preferred a high-level committee chair position rather than a federal cabinet secretary role. The Washington Post predicted that Musk could wield the axe to lay off millions of federal employees and agency staff, similar to the large-scale restructuring he conducted at Tesla and other companies. Some have raised concerns that Musk might leverage his influence in the Trump administration to favorably steer federal investigations and lawsuits related to his affiliates.

Trump explained that the department's reform work would be completed no later than July 4, 2026. He said, "A smaller government, higher efficiency, and less bureaucratic government will be a perfect gift to America celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence," expressing confidence that they will succeed.