Washington: President-elect Donald Trump named Elon Musk and former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy on Tuesday to lead the newly established Department of Government Efficiency. This external advisory body, humorously nicknamed “DOGE” in a nod to Musk’s favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin, will work closely with the White House and the Office of Management and Budget to identify and implement strategies for large-scale governmental reform.

Following the announcement, Ramaswamy shared his enthusiasm on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. He posted, “We Will not go gently,” expressing a determined stance on the challenges ahead. 

In another post, Ramaswamy added, “And yes, this means I’m withdrawing myself from consideration for the pending Senate appointment in Ohio. Whoever Governor DeWine appoints to JD’s (US Vice-President-elect JD Vance) seat has some big shoes to fill. I will help them however I can.”

This advisory role will see Musk and Ramaswamy as non-government employees, thus exempting them from the Federal Advisory Committee Act’s conflict-of-interest disclosures typically required for federal employees. Their work will be informal, as Trump clarified, though the two will play a substantial part in what he describes as an unprecedented effort to cut federal spending and streamline government operations.

Elon Musk, also reacting to the appointment, posted, “Department of Government Efficiency. The merch will be (fire emojis).” He later added, “Threat to democracy? Nope, threat to BUREAUCRACY!!!”

In a statement on Tuesday, Trump emphasized the duo’s mission to “dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” The president-elect has expressed a longstanding interest in giving Musk a position akin to a “cost-cutter,” referencing Musk’s suggestion that he could help identify $2 trillion in potential savings — nearly a third of the annual federal budget.

While the exact structure and operations of the Department of Government Efficiency remain unclear, Trump assured that Musk and Ramaswamy’s work will “shock government systems” with their ambitious reform initiatives.