Donald Trump announced on Thursday that, if he wins the 2024 presidential election, he will appoint tech billionaire Elon Musk to head a government efficiency panel aimed at overhauling federal spending.
Speaking to the Economic Club of New York, Trump outlined plans to create a government efficiency commission, a brainchild of Musk, to conduct a full audit of the government’s financial and performance operations.
“Under Elon’s leadership, this initiative will save trillions of dollars. This is what we need to eliminate fraud, improper payments, and waste,” Trump declared, emphasizing that the plan would lead to “drastic reforms.”
He added that the commission would present a comprehensive action plan within six months to tackle these issues.
Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has had a contentious history with regulators, including clashes with the Securities and Exchange Commission over his social media posts.
Despite his previous support for Democratic candidates, Musk has grown closer to Trump, particularly following an assassination attempt on the former president in July.
The collaboration, if it comes to fruition, will likely face challenges due to Musk’s complex relationship with government agencies, particularly in areas like autonomous vehicle development, which have drawn significant regulatory scrutiny.
