Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy announced their goals for DOGE

Last week, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy were appointed as co-leaders for Donald Trump’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE). Although the department in question is described as a “ministry” in some sources, it is worth noting that it is not an official part of the government. The duo shared the advisory group’s priorities with the public in an extensive article published in The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday.

Musk and Ramaswamy emphasized that the federal government should be downsized and announced that they would offer suggestions in this direction. Stating that they will work voluntarily, the duo stated that they will especially focus on federal institutions, which they describe as “wasteful and undemocratic”. “Much of the government is governed by rules and regulations set by appointed bureaucrats, not laws approved by Congress,” the article said.

Musk and Ramaswamy announced that they plan to establish a small team to cooperate with the Trump administration towards this goal. This team will consider whether current federal regulations exceed legal authority, based on two recent landmark decisions by the Supreme Court (West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency and Loper Bright v. Raimondo).

DOGE’s strategy will work as follows: Teams of advanced technology and legal experts will examine existing regulations in federal institutions. Recommendations will then be made to President Trump to halt enforcement of these regulations and review them. This process aims to relieve individuals and businesses from the burden of regulations not approved by Congress and stimulate the American economy.

Musk and Ramaswamy predict that cuts to federal regulations will affect thousands of regulations, resulting in a major reduction in the number of federal employees. The team plans to determine the minimum number of employees to meet each institution’s constitutional and legal requirements. However, it is thought that this approach could undermine important functions such as environmental protection or enforcement of health standards.

However, introducing policies such as requiring federal employees to work in the office five days a week are also among the suggestions. It is anticipated that such steps will lead to voluntary resignations and ease the budget burden.

In the following sections of the article, expenses that were likely to be cut were also mentioned. Highlights include $535 million in annual Corporation for Public Broadcasting funds, $1.5 billion in grants to international organizations, and $300 million to organizations like Planned Parenthood.

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy reminded the July 4, 2026 target

Musk and Ramaswamy stated that DOGE’s ultimate goal is to eliminate the need for the unit’s existence by July 4, 2026. This goal is presented as part of efforts to make the federal government smaller and more efficient.