This is a turbulent start for the “Department of Government Effectiveness” (Doge), a new invention of the Donald Trump administration, supposed to drastically reduce state spending. About seventy days after the announcement of the composition of this new team by the Republican president, the co-director of the Doge, the billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy, would have been pushed towards the exit by his teammate Elon Musk and would plan to announce his candidacy for governor in Ohio next week. The sign, for several American media, of the growing influence of the boss of Tesla and the social network X on the country’s affairs.
A flagship project of Donald Trump’s new mandate, the Doge, although bearing the name of a department, is not officially a federal agency since its creation was not approved by Congress. The main objective of this tool is to reduce public and federal spending and to put an end to what the Trump-Musk duo sees as a series of bureaucratic obstacles preventing the efficiency of the American economy. It also aims to modernize federal technologies and software. The department must submit its proposals by this summer to reduce the American state’s lifestyle.
Elon Musk’s hand
Originally, Doge was to be co-managed by billionaire Elon Musk, and entrepreneur and former Republican primary candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. “A few days after their appointment, the leaders reached an agreement: Musk would handle matters related to the technology sector and state spending, and Ramaswamy would review regulations and the functioning of administrative services” , reveals the Washington Post. But “deep philosophical differences over how the department should operate contributed to Ramaswamy’s departure,” the paper continued.
Among the reasons given, sources within the administration mention a tweet published at the end of December which would have been poorly received within the Republicans. Vivek Ramaswamy criticized H-1B work visas (which allow American employers to hire foreign workers in certain sectors), saying that technology companies were hiring foreign workers because of the country’s mentality that fetishizes “meritocracy” to the detriment of “excellence”, recalls Politico.
The entrepreneur’s political ambitions within the state of Ohio were also seen as a barrier. The new White House spokesperson, Anna Kelly, while praising Vivek Ramaswamy, saying that he “played an essential role in helping us create Doge”, nevertheless affirmed that his project of candidacy for governor of Ohio “required that he stay out of the Doge.”
The weight of Elon Musk’s business empire
Behind the scenes, it seems rather that the interests of the two billionaires have not coincided within the new administration. Since the start of this initiative, many doubts have hovered over potential conflicts of interest. As CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, companies that have contractual relationships with the federal government, Elon Musk’s dual hats could influence the Doge’s decisions in ways that favor his companies.
Via this tool, Elon Musk now has access to a quantity of information on the operations of federal agencies. “In his new role, Elon Musk appears to have extensive access to the inner workings of government, which far exceeds the plan as originally conceived. Armed with sensitive data, Elon Musk could draw on the expertise of his commercial empire – including the deployment of artificial intelligence – to achieve its objectives”, fears the Washington Post.