In another one of his controversial moves, Donald Trump named two newcomers to his administration last evening: billionaire Elon Musk to lead a “dismantling” of United States bureaucracy, and Fox News personality Pete Hegseth as the new Secretary of Defense. The move comes after the venture capitalist behind SpaceX and Tesla, Musk, campaigned for Trump rigorously.
Musk had been mulling during the Trump campaign that he could shave $2 trillion from the federal budget, so he might have been a great fit to be the point person for the administration’s so-called ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ (DOGE) — a cheeky reference to Dogecoin, the cryptocurrency Musk has famously hawked. Here’s what Trump has said and what his decision might entail.
Donald Trump Takes His Relationship With Elon Musk A Notch Higher
As he is set to take on the President’s role for a second term, Donald Trump is already making headlines for his controversial decisions. The Republican said that billionaire Elon Musk, along with former Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, will be external advisers to make government agencies more streamlined and strip off redundant regulations.
“Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies,” Trump said in his statement, referring to this venture as the “Manhattan Project” of our times.
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The declaration also sent Dogecoin prices soaring to the sky, raising eyebrows and piquing pundits’ speculations over the conflict of interest about Musk’s involvement, since he is known to have ties with the crypto market.
Donald Trump Names Fox Host Pete Hegseth As Head Of Pentagon
Moreover, Donald Trump also named Pete Hegseth, a long-time co-host on ‘Fox and Friends Weekend‘, as the Secretary of Defense. Hegseth served with the Army National Guard and had deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan. He also is a vocal proponent of the Trump administration’s policies, bringing some military credentials to his television persona.
Trump asserted that Hegseth is “tough, smart, and a true believer in America First.” He added, “With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice – Our Military will be Great Again, and America will Never Back Down.”
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Pete’s latest book, ‘The War on Warriors‘, has also drawn huge attention as the conservative best-seller that reflects his opinions for military meritocracy and strong national defense. As the new head of the Pentagon, he is expected to make a difference in shaping Trump’s second-term military policy which promises to give strength and accountability.
Both Musk and Hegseth’s roles are controversial but are likely to align perfectly with Trump’s commitment to shake up Washington, as he assured that the reform efforts by Musk would close just in time for the country’s 250th anniversary in 2026. “This will send shockwaves through the system, and anyone involved in Government waste, which is a lot of people!” Musk was quoted as saying in the statement.
