Elon Musk Launches 'Department of Government Efficiency' X Account

On Tuesday 12th November Donald Trump announced that Elon musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will lead the 'Department of Government Efficiency' (DOGE). Just 24 hours later, Elon Musk has launched an X account for DOGE. Let's dive into what this is all about.

How Could a Department of Government Efficiency Actually Work?

Trump’s proposal to set up a “Department of Government Efficiency” doesn’t mean a new government agency - it’s more like an advisory crew with a tight deadline and big ambitions to cut down federal waste. If it moves forward, this commission would work directly with the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the same office that handles budget requests, aiming to overhaul the way federal agencies use funds.

The Plan: Think Big Cuts, Not Small Trims

The idea is to push beyond surface-level cuts and make deep, lasting structural changes in government spending. Trump’s vision is to shake up how departments work, taking a more entrepreneurial, “get-things-done” approach that ideally won’t get buried in red tape. The deadline for the DOGE set up? They’re aiming to have actionable recommendations ready by July 4, 2026.

Why This Matters

For some context, this isn’t the first attempt to help improve federal spending. Back in 1982, President Reagan launched the Grace Commission, which generated a mountain of cost-saving ideas. But here’s the catch: most of those recommendations didn’t see the light of day. This time, Trump’s team hopes to go beyond the planning phase and see actual results.

The acronym

As majority of us probably already know, the commission’s acronym shares a name with a cryptocurrency called dogecoin associated with Musk - the value of which has reached a more than three-year high since Trump’s election win. 

What We Don’t Know (Yet)

It’s not entirely clear how this commission will be funded or staffed. Normally, advisory groups are covered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, which could allow the OMB to pay members if they choose. This may set the commission apart, giving it a bit more independence to operate outside typical government constraints that we usually see.

If it works, this commission could make some bold recommendations that change government spending practices. But like any plan to change “how things are done,” success will depend on Congress’s willingness to actually follow through with the plan.