Donald Trump has appointed Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), sparking uproar on social media.
In a statement Tuesday (November 12), Trump announced the billionaire tech entrepreneur and the former Republican presidential candidate will operate outside of the government to reduce government waste.
Trump claimed the duo “will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.”
He also said the department is “Essential to the “Save America” Movement” and “will send shockwaves through the system.”
Comparing DOGE to The Manhattan Project, Trump added that the department would fulfill a long-held Republican dream.
Donald Trump said he expects the project to be complete “no later than July 4, 2026,” the 250th Anniversary of The Declaration of Independence.
However, social media users raised concerns that the world’s richest person, who donated millions to Trump’s election campaign, would have too much influence on the President-elect. Many objected to Elon Musk, a long-time supporter of Dogecoin, leading DOGE.
“for those unaware elon musk holds a ton of dogecoin (DOGE),” one person shared. “This is a president-elect using his executive power to create a new government department whose name is intended to boost the price of DOGE, thereby enriching the man running it (musk).”
for those unaware elon musk holds a ton of dogecoin (DOGE) and this is a president-elect using his executive power to create a new government department whose name is intended to boost the price of DOGE, thereby enriching the man running it (musk) https://t.co/cEw5NN5M2S
— Marlow Stern (@MarlowNYC) November 13, 2024
“I’m sorry but letting Musk have a department with the initials that spell doge is the fuckign cringiest thing I’ve ever seen, from Trump and Musk,” another added.
I'm sorry but letting Musk have a department with the initials that spell doge is the fuckign cringiest thing I've ever seen, from Trump and Musk
— Classical Studies Memes for Hellenistic Teens (@CSMFHT) November 13, 2024
Meanwhile, other users branded DOGE a “crypto pump and dump scheme,” and claimed, “we live in the dumbest simulation ever.” Check out some reactions below.
maybe i’m crazy but appointing elon musk to lead some made up agency called DOGE and then calling it “the manhattan project of our time” sounds really f###### bad https://t.co/yNRvDtC4s6
— bailey moon (@Baileymoon15) November 13, 2024
Our Government has been turned over to the Great Elon Musk. Congratulations Elon. It only cost you $44 billion dollars. We are f#####. Thank you to the over 75 million traitors who voted for insurrectionist, traitor, criminal Trump. This is truly crazy. And shameful. pic.twitter.com/SjY8AIaoYu
— 🌻🦋💙Alex💙🦋🌻 (@AlexButterfly01) November 13, 2024
Congratulations Elon
— Nine (@ninewontmiss) November 13, 2024
pic.twitter.com/kXHWBQgz2D
And yes, the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is a crypto pump and dump scheme. They want to pump DOGE coin up to $10, which is why gold is tanking and stocks are dropping. They're getting rich while you suffer.
— Anonymous (@YourAnonNews) November 13, 2024
lmao DOGE as the department acronym. we live in the dumbest simulation ever. https://t.co/uK1diACSEm
— abdul 🌌📷 (@Advil) November 13, 2024
They let him make a government agency called DOGE we are SO F##### https://t.co/rnuqufYAiL
— L.W. Barricade (@CHARLIEBOT34) November 13, 2024
DOGE is so efficient that it needs 2 department heads https://t.co/8AiLzwwMvj
— Ahmed Baba (@AhmedBaba_) November 13, 2024
Department of Government Efficiency. Congratulations, Elon. The government is now a meme. Outstanding. pic.twitter.com/fu7cSeo6dA
— Greg Bonnough (@bonnough_greg) November 13, 2024