Republican White House candidate Donald Trump unveiled a plan Thursday to install tech billionaire Elon Musk at the head of a government efficiency commission to eliminate “trillions” of dollars in wasteful spending.
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO has emerged as a major voice in US politics but is accused of turning the social media platform Twitter, now known as X, into a megaphone for right-wing conspiracy theories since acquiring it in 2022.
Trump told business executives at a speech in New York that Musk — the world’s richest man, according to Forbes — would oversee a “complete financial and performance audit of the entire federal government” in a second Trump administration.
“As the first order of business, this commission will develop an action plan to totally eliminate fraud and improper payments within six months,” he said.
Musk, who endorsed Trump in July, is one of the Biden-Harris administration’s fiercest critics. The efficiency commission was initially Musk’s idea, but this is the first time Trump has confirmed he would adopt the plan and tap Musk to lead it.
“I look forward to serving America if the opportunity arises. No pay, no title, no recognition is needed,” Musk posted on his social media platform, X.
