Tanahub.com — Donald Trump, who returned to the White House after winning the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election, has introduced several groundbreaking initiatives for his administration.
One of the most talked-about by the crypto community is the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is reportedly tasked with reducing unnecessary spending in Trump’s government.
The acronym DOGE makes the department particularly appealing as it shares the name with billionaire Elon Musk’s favorite cryptocurrency: Dogecoin (DOGE).
The DOGE department was first mentioned by Musk last August in a post on X. At the time, many thought the department was merely a joke, similar to the original intent behind the creation of the Dogecoin meme coin.
I am willing to serve pic.twitter.com/BJhGbcA2e0
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 20, 2024
Dogecoin’s value continued to surge as Musk showed his support for Trump during the presidential campaign. The meme coin reached its highest value in three years after Trump emerged victorious.
Surprisingly, Trump, who frequently voiced support for the crypto industry during his campaign, officially endorsed the establishment of the DOGE department. Trump’s endorsement suggests that this initially fictional department could actually become a recognized entity associated with the U.S. government.
“Together, (Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy) will pave the way for my administration to dismantle government bureaucracy, eliminate excessive regulations, cut unnecessary spending, and restructure federal agencies—a vital step for the movement to save America,” Trump stated.
Trump even released merchandise featuring an illustration of himself with Elon Musk and a Shiba Inu dog, the mascot of Dogecoin.
The DOGE project is slated to remain active until July 4, 2026, marking the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence.
Led Directly by Elon Musk
DOGE will be led by two billionaires, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. According to Musk, neither of them will receive a salary for managing the department.
Unlike you, neither of us are being paid, so it is very efficient indeed.@DOGE will do great things for the American people. Let history be the judge.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 14, 2024
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, and owner of the social media giant X, was declared the world’s richest person in 2024, with a net worth of 7 quadrillion rupiahs. The 53-year-old is also popularly known as the “Doge Father” for frequently discussing DOGE and influencing its price hikes.
Meanwhile, Vivek Ramaswamy is an entrepreneur and former Republican presidential candidate who withdrew from the race and pledged his support to Trump.
In addition to Musk and Ramaswamy, the DOGE department reportedly aims to recruit high-IQ individuals willing to work over 80 hours per week.
The Washington Post revealed that billionaire Marc Andreessen, from venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, is on the list of prospective ‘employees.’
DOGE leaders will also collaborate with prominent Silicon Valley figures, including Palantir founder Joe Lonsdale and hedge fund manager Bill Ackman.
Primary Tasks of DOGE
According to Trump, DOGE is mandated to simplify U.S. governance by preparing reports with recommendations to cut regulations and reduce government spending.
“Your money is being wasted, and the Department of Government Efficiency will fix that. We will keep the government out of your wallet,” Musk stated in October during a rally with Trump at Madison Square Garden, New York.
DOGE plans to fulfill this mission by submitting cost-cutting proposals to Congress. Musk and Ramaswamy can also present their ideas directly to Trump, who has the authority to issue executive orders to implement DOGE’s directives without Congressional approval.
In late November, Republican members of Congress formed the Congressional Delivering Outstanding Government Efficiency (DOGE) Caucus to advocate for DOGE initiatives on Capitol Hill. This group even recruited a Democrat, Jared Moskowitz, to join.
That same month, Musk and Ramaswamy were reported to have traveled to Washington, D.C., and Mar-a-Lago to meet with government experts, legal professionals, and tech leaders to draft DOGE’s plans.
However, U.S. media reported differences in Musk and Ramaswamy’s approaches to federal spending cuts. Musk proposed reducing federal spending by $2 trillion, roughly one-third of the total federal budget.
Meanwhile, Ramaswamy advocated reducing the federal workforce by 75%, though the budgetary impact remains unclear. This workforce reduction targets not only the White House but also several departments, including the FBI.
Musk and Ramaswamy also announced plans to launch a podcast, DOGEcast, to provide updates on DOGE’s development.
In early December, they reportedly presented a 60-page cost-saving proposal to a group of lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
Operating Outside the Government
U.S. media reports indicate that DOGE is not an official U.S. government department. According to the U.S. Congress website, only Congress has the authority to approve the creation of new federal government departments—a power the president does not possess.
Musk’s creative project, inspired by the DOGE meme coin, will operate outside the formal government system. This means DOGE is unlikely to receive government funding.
The department’s ability to directly control the budgets of federal agencies remains a significant point of contention.