Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have revealed an ambitious plan to overhaul the federal government through sweeping regulatory cuts and staffing reductions. A sharp pivot toward leaner governance under President-elect Donald Trump’s second administration.
In a Wall Street Journal op-ed published on November 20, Musk, CEO of SpaceX, and Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur and former Republican presidential candidate, detailed their leadership vision for the newly announced Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Acting as an advisory body, DOGE will collaborate with the White House and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to streamline federal agencies, slash wasteful spending, and repeal excessive regulations.
Focus on Efficiency and the Constitution
Musk and Ramaswamy stressed their commitment to “cutting costs” rather than generating reports. According to the op-ed, the initiative will focus on three core objectives: eliminating unnecessary regulations, reducing administrative overhead, and achieving substantial cost savings.
Citing key Supreme Court rulings such as West Virginia v. EPA and Loper Bright v. Raimondo, the duo argued that many current federal regulations exceed the authority granted by Congress.
They proposed using existing laws and executive actions to nullify regulations that fail constitutional scrutiny. This approach, they claim, will reduce the size of the federal workforce “proportionate to the number of federal regulations that are nullified.”
Staffing Reductions and Federal Overhaul
The plan advocates for “mass layoffs” in the federal bureaucracy, with DOGE identifying the minimum staffing levels necessary for each agency to perform its legally mandated functions. While acknowledging the potential disruption, Musk and Ramaswamy stressed the importance of treating displaced workers with dignity. Incentives such as early retirement packages and severance pay will be offered to ease transitions into private-sector roles.
Civil service protections will not shield employees from these layoffs, as the reductions will be framed as necessary cost-cutting measures rather than targeting individuals. Furthermore, DOGE aims to relocate federal agencies outside Washington, D.C., and encourage voluntary resignations from employees unwilling to return to full-time office work.
“If federal employees don’t want to show up, American taxpayers shouldn’t pay them for the Covid-era privilege of staying home,” Ramaswamy asserted. He also highlighted the ongoing resistance from unions scrambling to protect remote-work agreements.
$2 Trillion in Potential Savings
The two leaders projected that their efforts could save up to $2 trillion, or 30% of the federal budget. This ambitious target would be achieved by tackling inefficiencies, fraud, and waste across government programs. Musk suggested leveraging artificial intelligence and crowd-sourcing methods to identify and eliminate unnecessary expenditures.
DOGE’s purview may also extend to the Pentagon, which has failed seven consecutive audits despite its $800 billion annual budget. Musk and Ramaswamy argued that addressing inefficiencies within defense spending is crucial to achieving broader fiscal responsibility.
A New Era of Accountability
Musk and Ramaswamy’s vision reflects President-elect Trump’s commitment to a smaller, more accountable federal government. The two billionaires have pledged to lead by example, assembling a “lean team of small-government crusaders” to assist with the Trump administration’s transition and execute their cost-cutting strategy.
“Unlike government commissions or advisory committees, we won’t just write reports or cut ribbons,” they wrote. “We’ll cut costs.”
For many supporters, this marks a bold step toward restoring fiscal discipline in Washington.