Trump Announces New Department to “Drain Swamp” with Musk, Ramaswamy at Helm

President-elect Donald Trump has announced the creation of a new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), aiming to “drain the swamp” and streamline government operations, Al Jazeera reports.

The department, inspired by a conversation with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, will be headed by Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, a pharmaceutical entrepreneur who previously ran for president.

The department, which will be operational by July 4, 2026, the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, is intended to “provide advice and guidance from outside of Government,” according to Trump’s statement. Musk and Ramaswamy will work to identify and eliminate waste within the government, a goal that has been a cornerstone of Trump’s political platform since his first presidential run in 2016.

Trump compared the scale and importance of the new department to the Manhattan Project, the World War II-era program that developed the atomic bomb. He claimed that Musk could uncover over $2 trillion in savings by reviewing federal functions, a figure equivalent to nearly a third of the government’s annual spending.

The announcement has been met with mixed reactions. Some critics point out that independent watchdogs already exist within the government to ensure efficiency and conduct audits, including the Government Accountability Office. They view the new department as a reward for two prominent Trump supporters from the private sector.

Others are optimistic about the potential for a more streamlined government. Musk, a well-known advocate for innovation and efficiency, has promised to bring a fresh perspective to government operations. Ramaswamy, who previously ran against Trump in the Republican primaries, has pledged to support Trump’s efforts to reform the government.