U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday named Elon Musk to a role aimed at creating a more efficient government, handing even more influence to the world’s richest man who donated millions of dollars to helping Trump get elected. Pete Hegseth, a Fox News commentator and veteran has been picked for the post of secretary of state.
Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will co-lead a newly created Department of Government Efficiency, an entity Trump indicated will operate outside the confines of government.
Trump said in a statement 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.”
Trump said the new department will realize long-held Republican dreams and “provide advice and guidance from outside of government,” signaling the Musk and Ramaswamy roles would be informal, without requiring Senate approval and allowing Musk to remain the head of electric car company Tesla TSLA.O, social media platform X and rocket company SpaceX.
The new department would work with the White House and Office of Management & Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach” to government never seen before, Trump said.
The work would conclude by July 4, 2026 – the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Musk, ranked by Forbes as the richest person in the world, already stood to benefit from Trump’s victory, with the billionaire entrepreneur expected to wield extraordinary influence to help his companies and secure favorable government treatment.
Trump’s cabinet 2.0: who’s been picked, who’s in the running?
SUSIE WILES, chief of staff
Trump announced last week that Wiles, one of his two campaign managers, will be his White House chief of staff.
While the specifics of her political views are somewhat unclear, Wiles, 67, is credited with running a successful and efficient campaign. Supporters hope she will instill a sense of order and discipline that was often lacking during Trump’s first four-year term, when he cycled through a number of chiefs of staff.
TOM HOMAN, ‘border czar’
Trump announced on Sunday night that Homan, the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement during Trump’s first administration, will be in charge of the country’s borders.
Trump made cracking down on people illegally in the country a central element of his campaign, promising mass deportations.
Homan, 62, said on Monday he would prioritize deporting immigrants illegally in the U.S. who posed safety and security threats as well as those working at job sites.
ELISE STEFANIK, U.N. ambassador
Trump announced on Monday that Stefanik, a Republican congresswoman and staunch Trump supporter, would be his ambassador to the United Nations.
Stefanik, 40, a U.S. representative from New York state and House Republican conference chair, took a leadership position in the House of Representatives in 2021 when she was elected to replace then-Representative Liz Cheney, who was ousted for criticizing Trump’s false claims of election fraud.
“Elise is an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter,” Trump said in a statement.
Stefanik will arrive at the U.N. after bold promises by Trump to end the Russia-Ukraine war and Israel’s war in Gaza.
LEE ZELDIN, EPA administrator
Trump announced on Monday he had appointed former congressman Lee Zeldin of New York state as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and Zeldin said he had accepted the role.
Zeldin, 44, a staunch Trump ally, served in Congress from 2015 to 2023. In 2022, he lost the New York governor’s race to Democratic incumbent Kathy Hochul.
Trump has promised to overhaul U.S. energy policy, with the aim of maximizing the country’s already record-high oil and gas production by rolling back regulations and speeding up permitting.
MARCO RUBIO, secretary of state
Trump is expected to tap U.S. Senator Marco Rubio to be his secretary of state, sources said on Monday, putting the Florida-born politician on track to be the first Latino to serve as the United States’ top diplomat.
Rubio, 53, was arguably the most hawkish option on Trump’s shortlist for secretary of state. The senator has in past years advocated for a muscular foreign policy with respect to U.S. geopolitical foes, including China, Iran and Cuba.
Over the last several years he has softened some of his stances to align more closely with Trump’s views. The president-elect accuses past U.S. presidents of leading the U.S. into costly and futile wars and has pushed for a less interventionist foreign policy.
PETE HEGSETH, defense secretary
Trump said on Tuesday he has picked Pete Hegseth as his secretary of defense. Hegseth is a Fox News commentator and veteran who has expressed disdain for the so-called “woke” policies of Pentagon leaders including its top military officer.
Hegseth, if confirmed by the U.S. Senate, could make good on Trump’s campaign promises to rid the U.S. military of generals who he accuses of pursuing progressive policies on diversity in the ranks that conservatives have rallied against.
It could also set up a collision course between Hegseth and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force General C.Q. Brown who Hegseth accused of “pursuing the radical positions of left-wing politicians.”
MIKE WALTZ, national security adviser
Trump said on Tuesday he had picked Republican U.S. Representative Mike Waltz to be national security adviser. Waltz is a retired Army Green Beret who has been a leading critic of China.
Waltz, a 50-year-old Trump loyalist who also served in the National Guard as a colonel, has criticized Chinese activity in the Asia-Pacific and has voiced the need for the U.S. to be ready for a potential conflict in the region.
The national security adviser is a powerful role, which does not require Senate confirmation. Waltz will be responsible for briefing Trump on key national security issues and coordinating with different agencies.
While slamming the Biden administration for a disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, Waltz has publicly praised Trump’s foreign policy views.
ELON MUSK AND VIVEK RAMASWAMY, heads of Department of Government Efficiency
Trump on Tuesday named Elon Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a newly created Department of Government Efficiency, rewarding two of his well known supporters from the private sector.
Musk and Ramaswamy “will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies,” Trump said in a statement.
Trump said the new department “will provide advice and guidance from outside of Government” and work with the White House and Office of Management & Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach”.
KRISTI NOEM, Homeland Security secretary
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has been picked to serve as the next homeland security secretary, Trump said on Tuesday.
Noem, 52, once seen as a possible running mate for Trump, is currently serving her second four-year term as South Dakota’s governor. She rose to national prominence after refusing to impose a statewide mask mandate during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Department of Homeland Security is responsible for everything from border protection and immigration to disaster response and the U.S. Secret Service.
“Kristi has been very strong on Border Security. She was the first Governor to send National Guard Soldiers to help Texas fight the Biden Border Crisis, and they were sent a total of eight times,” Trump said in a statement.
He said Noem would work closely with his “border czar,” Tom Homan. In an X post, Noem said she looked forward to working with Homan to “make America SAFE again.”
JOHN RATCLIFFE, CIA director
Trump said on Tuesday he had picked former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe to serve as director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
A former congressman and prosecutor who served as director of national intelligence during Trump’s last year in office, Ratcliffe, 59, is seen as a hardcore Trump loyalist who could likely win Senate confirmation. Still, during his time as director of national intelligence, Ratcliffe often contradicted the assessments of career civil servants, drawing criticism from Democrats who said he politicized the role.
SCOTT BESSENT, potential treasury secretary
Bessent, a key economic adviser to Trump, is widely seen as a top candidate for treasury secretary. A longtime hedge fund investor who taught at Yale University for several years, Bessent has a warm relationship with the president-elect.
While Bessent has long favored the laissez-faire policies that were popular in the pre-Trump Republican Party, he has also spoken highly of Trump’s use of tariffs as a negotiating tool. He has praised the president-elect’s economic philosophy, which rests on a skepticism of both regulations and international trade.
ROBERT LIGHTHIZER, trade czar, potential treasury secretary
A loyalist who served as Trump’s U.S. trade representative for essentially the then-president’s entire term, Lighthizer will almost certainly be invited back.
Though Bessent likely has a better shot at becoming treasury secretary, Lighthizer has an outside chance, and he might be able to reprise his old role if he’s interested.
The Wall Street Journal has reported Trump wanted Lighthizer as his trade czar.
Like Trump, Lighthizer, 77, is a trade skeptic and a firm believer in tariffs. He was one of the leading figures in Trump’s trade war with China and the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, with Mexico and Canada during Trump’s first term.
HOWARD LUTNICK, potential treasury secretary
The co-chair of Trump’s transition effort and the longtime chief executive of financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald, Lutnick is in the running for treasury secretary.
A bombastic New Yorker like Trump, Lutnick, 63, has uniformly praised the president-elect’s economic policies, including his use of tariffs.
He has at times given elaborate, unvarnished opinions about what policies will be enacted in Trump’s second term. Some Trump allies had privately complained that he too often presented himself as speaking on behalf of the campaign.
LINDA McMAHON, potential commerce secretary
Professional wrestling magnate and former Small Business Administration director Linda McMahon is seen as the frontrunner to lead Trump’s Department of Commerce, three sources briefed on the plans said.
McMahon, 76, is a major donor and was an early supporter of the Republican president-elect when he first ran for the White House almost a decade ago. This time, Trump tapped her to co-lead a transition team formed to help vet personnel and draft policy ahead of the Nov. 5 election.
McMahon is the co-founder and former CEO of the professional wrestling franchise WWE. She later served as director of the Small Business Administration, resigning in 2019, and went on to lead a pro-Trump political action committee that supported his 2020 reelection bid.
MIKE LEE, potential attorney general
A U.S. senator from Utah, Lee is widely seen as a top candidate for attorney general. Though the former prosecutor declined to vote for Trump during the 2016 election, he later became an unwavering ally, and he has become something of an intellectual hero among some factions of Trumpworld.
Lee, 53, was a key figure in attempts by Trump and his allies to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden, and has spread unfounded conspiracy theories about the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
KASH PATEL, potential candidate for national security posts
A former Republican House staffer who served in various high-ranking staff roles in the defense and intelligence communities during Trump’s first term, Patel frequently appeared on the campaign trail to rally support for the candidate.
Any position requiring Senate confirmation may be a challenge, however.
Patel, 44, has leaned into controversy throughout his career. In an interview with Trump ally Steve Bannon last year, he promised to “come after” politicians and journalists perceived to be enemies of Trump.
During Trump’s first term, Patel, seen as the ultimate Trump loyalist, drew animosity from some more experienced national security officials, who saw him as volatile and too eager to please the then-president.
With many links to Washington, Musk gave millions of dollars to support Trump’s presidential campaign and made public appearances with him.
Adding a government portfolio to Musk’s plate could benefit the market value of his companies and favored businesses such as artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency.
“It’s clear that Musk will have a massive role in the Trump White House with his increasing reach clearly across many federal agencies,” equities analyst Daniel Ives of Wedbush Securities said in a research note.
“We believe the major benefits for Musk and Tesla far outweigh any negatives as this continues to be a ‘poker move for the ages’ by Musk betting on Trump,” Ives said.
The move was criticized by Public Citizen, a progressive consumer tights NGO that challenged several of Trump’s first-term policies.
“Musk not only knows nothing about government efficiency and regulation, his own businesses have regularly run afoul of the very rules he will be in position to attack in his new ‘czar’ position,” Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen, said in a statement. “This is the ultimate corporate corruption.”
MAXIMUM TRANSPARENCY PROMISED
Trump likened the efficiency effort to the Manhattan Project, the U.S. undertaking to build the atomic bomb that helped end World War Two, while Musk promised transparency.
“All actions of the Department of Government Efficiency will be posted online for maximum transparency,” Musk said on X, inviting the public to provide tips.
“We will also have a leaderboard for most insanely dumb spending of your tax dollars. This will be both extremely tragic and extremely entertaining,” Musk said.
Musk said at a Trump rally at Madison Square Garden in October that the federal budget could be reduced by “at least” $2 trillion. Discretionary spending, including defense spending, is estimated to total $1.9 trillion out of $6.75 trillion in total federal outlays for fiscal 2024, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
“Your money is being wasted and the Department of Government Efficiency is going to fix that. We’re going to get the government off you back and out of your pocketbook,” Musk said at the rally.
The acronym of the new department – DOGE – also references the name of the cryptocurrency dogecoin that Musk promotes.
In August Musk and Tesla won the dismissal of a federal lawsuit accusing them of defrauding investors by hyping dogecoin and conducting insider trading, causing billions of dollars of losses.
Dogecoin has more than doubled since Election Day, tracking a surge in cryptocurrency markets on expectations of a softer regulatory ride under a Trump administration.
Shares in Tesla fell on Wall Street ahead of the announcement but are up about 30% since the election.
Ramaswamy is the founder of a pharmaceutical company who ran for the Republican presidential nomination against Trump and then threw his support behind the former president after dropping out.
Ramaswamy said the appointment means he is withdrawing from consideration for the pending U.S. Senate appointment in Ohio, where Governor Mike DeWine will appoint a replacement for JD Vance, who will become Trump’s vice president when they are inaugurated on Jan. 20.
Pete Hegseth, a Fox News commentator and veteran who has expressed disdain for the so-called “woke” policies of Pentagon leaders including its top military officer, is to be nominated to become the next secretary of state.
Hegseth, if confirmed by the U.S. Senate, could make good on Trump’s campaign promises to rid the U.S. military of generals who he accuses of pursuing progressive policies on diversity in the ranks that conservatives have rallied against.
It could also set up a collision course between Hegseth and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force General C.Q. Brown, a former fighter pilot with command experience in the Pacific and the Middle East, who Hegseth accused of “pursuing the radical positions of left-wing politicians.”
The 44-year old NATO-skeptic is perhaps Trump’s most surprising pick as he fills out his cabinet ahead of the Jan. 20 inauguration, and the decision drew swift condemnation from some of Trump’s opponents.
“The job of Secretary of Defense should not be an entry-level position,” Representative Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said on X.
Trump, announcing his decision, praised Hegseth, who is an Army National Guard veteran and according to his website served in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
“Pete is tough, smart and a true believer in America First,” Trump said in a statement. “With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice – Our Military will be Great Again, and America will Never Back Down.”
While Hegseth has articulated only limited policy positions in the past, he has railed against NATO allies for being weak and said that China is on the verge of dominating its neighbors.
Hegseth has said he left the military in 2021 after being sidelined for his political and religious views by an Army that didn’t want him anymore.
“The feeling was mutual – I didn’t want this Army anymore either,” Hegseth said in his book “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free.”
There is already anxiety in the Pentagon that Trump aims to root out military officers and career civil servants he perceives to be disloyal.
Culture war issues could be a trigger for firings.
Trump told Fox News in June he would fire generals he described as “woke,” a term for those focused on racial and social justice but which is used by conservatives to disparage progressive policies.
Hegseth could be an advocate for such firings.
“The next president of the United States needs to radically overhaul Pentagon senior leadership to make us ready to defend our nation and defeat our enemies. Lots of people need to be fired,” he wrote in his book.
Hegseth also took aim at Brown in particular, asking whether he would have gotten the job if he were not Black.
“Was it because of his skin color? Or his skill? We’ll never know, but always doubt – which on its face seems unfair to CQ. But since he has made the race card one of his biggest calling cards, it doesn’t really much matter,” he wrote.
Trump’s former U.S. generals and defense secretaries are among his fiercest critics, with some declaring him unfit for office. Trump has suggested that his former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mark Milley, could be executed for treason.
Hegseth has also slammed Milley for failing to execute Trump’s policies dutifully when in office and accusing him of being “a partisan to the end” to aid Democrats.
‘SELF-RIGHTEOUS AND IMPOTENT’ ALLIES
Hegseth has been sharply critical of America’s European allies and his selection could fuel even greater anxiety in NATO about what a Trump administration will mean for the alliance.
“Outdated, outgunned, invaded, and impotent. Why should America, the European ’emergency contact number’ for the past century, listen to self-righteous and impotent nations asking us to honor outdated and one-sided defense arrangements they no longer live up to?” Hegseth wrote in his book.
“Maybe if NATO countries actually ponied up for their own defense — but they don’t. They just yell about the rules while gutting their militaries and yelling at America for help.”
In appearances on podcasts and television he has said China is building a military “specifically dedicated to defeating the United States of America.”
“They have a full spectrum long-term view of not just regional but global domination and we are we have our heads up our asses,” Hegseth said on a podcast last week.
During the same appearance, Hegseth said Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine appeared to be “Putin’s give-me-my-shit-back war.”
Trump has been critical of President Joe Biden’s assistance for Ukraine, fueling concern about the future of support for President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s government under a Republican-controlled White House, Senate and possibly House of Representatives.
“If Ukraine can defend themselves… great, but I don’t want American intervention driving deep into Europe and making (Putin) feel like he’s so much on his heels,” Hegseth said.
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