Elon Musk tapped for ‘government efficiency’ role by Donald Trump

Washington: SpaceX chief Elon Musk and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy have been tapped by Donald Trump to head a newly formed government efficiency department as the president-elect rounds out his new cabinet with loyal allies.

In a surprise appointment on Tuesday night, Trump also said he would nominate Fox News host Pete Hegseth to be secretary of defence, giving the 44-year-old army veteran the job of leading America’s military amid growing global uncertainty.

The statements came amid a flurry of cabinet announcements.

Elon Musk embraces Donald Trump during a campaign rally in October.Credit: Getty Images

One week after his decisive election victory over Kamala Harris, Trump has asked South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem to head the US Department of Homeland Security, placing her at the centre of his tough-on-immigration policy.

Florida senator Marco Rubio is expected to be named secretary of state, making him the top diplomat to carry out Trump’s foreign policy objectives, particularly when it comes to China.

Musk and firebrand libertarian conservative Ramaswamy “will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies”, Trump said in a statement.

The Department of Government Efficiency’s acronym, DOGE, is a nod to Musk’s favourite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said in a statement that Musk and Ramaswamy would work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance”. It’s not clear how the organisation will operate.

Trump described Fox News Channel host Hegseth as “tough, smart and a true believer in America First”.

Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox & Friends Weekend and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show.

Pete Hegseth at Fox News Channel Studios in New York City.Credit: Getty Images

He is also an Army National Guard veteran and served in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, according to his website.

A fellow tough-on-China politician, Mike Waltz, has been named Trump’s national security adviser, taking up the crucial post amid prolonged conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

The picks are emblematic of Trump’s desire to rapidly round out his administration with loyal allies before Inauguration Day on January 20.

Rubio, meanwhile, is a three-term senator who is a hawk on China and Iran, and while he supported Ukraine against Russia’s invasion, he has recently advocated for the conflict to end as soon as possible.

He also competed against Trump for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, describing him at the time as a “con artist” who wasn’t going to “make America great – he’s gonna make America orange”.

One of his most memorable moments during the primaries took place on the debate stage against Trump when he made a seemingly crude joke about the Republican’s small hands.

“Have you seen his hands? Rubio said as the crowd erupted. “And you know what they say about men with small hands … You can’t trust them.”

But Trump had his share of insults against Rubio, too, describing him during their rivalry as “clueless”, a “choker”, and a “total lightweight who I wouldn’t hire to run one of my smaller companies”.

The pair have grown closer in recent years, even though Rubio is seen as more of an establishment figure than a MAGA acolyte.

Fellow Floridian Waltz was confirmed as national security adviser in a statement on Tuesday (Wednesday AEDT).

“Mike has been a strong champion of my America First foreign policy agenda, and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of peace through strength!” Trump said.

The former colonel is a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He is also a strong ally of the former president and last year warned, “the era of Ukraine’s blank check from Congress is over”.

Waltz now steps into a role that four other people churned through in Trump’s first administration. The first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, lasted 22 days before resigning amid claims he misled the administration over his communications with Russia before Trump took office.

Two others, Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster and John Bolton, were eventually pushed out by Trump over their policy disagreements, while the fourth, Robert O’Brien, is among the names touted to be part of Trump’s second administration.

Donald Trump watches as South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem dances to YMCA in Philadelphia last month.Credit: AP

On Tuesday, Trump said he would nominate former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee as ambassador to Israel and ex-director of national intelligence John Ratcliffe to lead the CIA.

with Reuters, AP

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