Ramaswamy and Musk to guide ‘authorities effectivity’ division sparking battle of curiosity issues
The announcement that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy would lead a brand new non-governmental “Division of Authorities Effectivity” has instantly raised questions on conflicts of curiosity.
Each males, CNN notes, “lead corporations with current, profitable authorities contracts”. Musk runs corporations together with Tesla, SpaceX, X and Neuralink whereas Ramaswamy is a rich biotech entrepreneur.
In his assertion asserting the brand new roles, president-elect Donald Trump mentioned of Musk and Ramaswamy:
Collectively, these two great People will pave the way in which for my administration to dismantle authorities forms, slash extra laws, reduce wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal businesses.
Reacting to his appointment, and giving his view of what he sees as authorities forms, Ramaswamy posted to X to say “Shut it down”.
Ramaswamy additionally introduced he was ending his bid to be appointed Ohio senator in stead of JD Vance, who is ready to develop into vice chairman.
Key occasions
In an evaluation piece for CNN, Stephen Collinson has described Donald Trump’s flurry of bulletins as “an evening of Maga shock and awe.”
The collection of individuals corresponding to Elon Musk, Kristi Noem and Pete Hegseth are partly designed to honor the aspirations of Trump’s voters and epitomize the president-elect’s personal outsider model — in addition to his deeply developed longing for loyalty.
His alternative of ultra-loyalists is borne out of Trump’s frustration that institution army officers, officers and traditional Washington operators reined in his personal most excessive impulses in his first time period.
However Trump can be taking a threat. Whereas it is sensible to select outdoors revolutionaries to tear down governance, a lot of his picks lack the form of in-depth expertise and information of the departments they’ll run.
In its protection of the controversial appointment of Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to guide a non-governmental fee to chop authorities spending, the Washington Submit reminds readers of one thing the latter mentioned earlier within the yr.
It quotes Ramaswamy saying “Now we have a fourth department of presidency – the executive state – that our Founding Fathers didn’t envision. Eradicating the surplus forms goes to be good for our economic system and for our nationwide spirit.”
The Washington Submit goes on to say:
An individual aware of the trouble, who spoke on the situation of anonymity to explain delicate negotiations, mentioned that particulars of the group’s funding would emerge quickly. The [Republicans] had talked about lowering waste for a few years, however had not been efficient, the particular person added, main the marketing campaign to the conclusion ‘outsiders with a way more entrepreneurial strategy’ have been higher suited to the duty.
Some Trump advisers see Musk’s fee as a possibility to implement long-sought targets to scale back federal spending and regulation. They’ve pointed to the Grace Fee, a Reagan-era panel that beneficial billions of {dollars} in spending cuts. Beneath that mannequin, which some Trump advisers hope the Musk plan will emulate, the fee recognized a whole lot or hundreds of examples of wasteful authorities applications and laws, and referred to as on Congress to approve the suggestions, backed by the president.
The structure offers Congress authority over taxation and spending, that means any federal price range modifications beneficial by Musk’s fee must be accepted by the Home and Senate.
Philip Wen
As my colleague Philip Wen famous in his report on the appointment of Elon Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to the newly created “Division of Authorities Effectivity”, numerous particulars stay unclear:
It’s not clear how the group will function. It might come underneath the Federal Advisory Committee Act, which dictates how exterior teams that advise the federal government should function and be accountable to the general public.
Federal staff are usually required to reveal their belongings and entanglements to push back any potential conflicts of curiosity, and to divest important holdings regarding their work. As a result of Musk and Ramaswamy wouldn’t be formal federal employees, they might not face these necessities or moral limitations.
Trump mentioned the company will likely be conducting a “full monetary and efficiency audit of your complete federal authorities, and making suggestions for drastic reforms”.
Trump mentioned their work would conclude by 4 July 2026, including {that a} smaller and extra environment friendly authorities can be a “reward” to the nation on the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Learn extra right here: Trump selects Elon Musk to guide authorities effectivity division
Ramaswamy and Musk to guide ‘authorities effectivity’ division sparking battle of curiosity issues
The announcement that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy would lead a brand new non-governmental “Division of Authorities Effectivity” has instantly raised questions on conflicts of curiosity.
Each males, CNN notes, “lead corporations with current, profitable authorities contracts”. Musk runs corporations together with Tesla, SpaceX, X and Neuralink whereas Ramaswamy is a rich biotech entrepreneur.
In his assertion asserting the brand new roles, president-elect Donald Trump mentioned of Musk and Ramaswamy:
Collectively, these two great People will pave the way in which for my administration to dismantle authorities forms, slash extra laws, reduce wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal businesses.
Reacting to his appointment, and giving his view of what he sees as authorities forms, Ramaswamy posted to X to say “Shut it down”.
Ramaswamy additionally introduced he was ending his bid to be appointed Ohio senator in stead of JD Vance, who is ready to develop into vice chairman.
Welcome and opening abstract …
Welcome to the Guardian’s ongoing protection of US politics. Listed here are the headlines …
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President-elect Donald Trump has continued to make appointments as he prepares to return to the White Home. Former governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee, who as soon as mentioned he dreamed of constructing a vacation dwelling within the Israeli-occupied West Financial institution, would be the US ambassador to Israel
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South Dakota governor Kristi Noem will lead the Division of Homeland Safety. Fox Information host Pete Hegseth will function secretary of protection, whereas John Ratcliffe will lead the CIA and William Joseph McGinley will function White Home counsel
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Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will lead a brand new “Division of Authorities Effectivity”, which Trump says won’t really be a authorities company. They may, in line with Trump, work from outdoors the federal government to “drive giant scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial strategy to authorities by no means seen earlier than”. Each males have already got profitable authorities contracts, resulting in questions on an instantaneous battle of curiosity
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Republican Rep David Valadao sealed California’s twenty second Congressional district, beating Democrat Rudy Salas, and edging the Republicans nearer to the 218 mark which is able to give them management of the Home
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The choose in Trump’s Manhattan felony hush-money case has postponed deciding on whether or not to throw out the conviction on presidential immunity grounds
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Joe Biden’s administration has mentioned it won’t halt arms transfers to Israel, regardless of eight worldwide support teams saying Benjamin Netanyahu’s authorities has failed to fulfill US calls for to extend humanitarian support to the besieged Gaza Strip
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