Op-eds

Musk and DOGE are doing exactly what Trump told voters they would do

Washington, DC, February 13, 2025

On Sept. 5, 2024, exactly two months before Election Day, then-candidate Donald Trump announced that if he became president again, he would enlist entrepreneur Elon Musk to lead an effort to cut government waste.

“I will create a government efficiency commission tasked with conducting a complete financial and performance audit of the entire federal government and making recommendations for drastic reforms,” Mr. Trump said in remarks to the Economic Club of New York, noting that Mr. Musk had already agreed to take on the job.

 

Mr. Musk, who reshaped technology and the world economy with his electric vehicle and space rocket companies, was a constant presence at Trump rallies in the campaign’s closing weeks. When the former president won his old job back, he made good on the promise of a government efficiency commission, and Mr. Musk was at the helm of it. It should have been no surprise to anyone — not to the American people, not to congressional Democrats and not to the national news media.

But now that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) exists and is working, the professional left and their allies in the media have whipped themselves into a frenzy that rivals any other tantrums they’ve thrown in the Trump era. I’m fed up with the scripted outrage and the blizzard of lies and exaggerations that have come with it, and it’s time to set a few things straight.

Under Article II of the Constitution, the president has the authority to appoint individuals to help execute a vision of government. Mr. Trump designated Mr. Musk as a “special government employee,” defined by Section 202 of Title 18 of the United States Code. The selection is entirely lawful and represents a bold step toward eliminating bureaucratic inefficiencies in a government that has produced a national debt of more than $36 trillion, or over $106,000 for every American alive. The appointment doesn’t differ from past administrations naming industry experts to key Cabinet, advisory and operational roles. Moreover, it is sorely needed.

As critics would have you believe, Mr. Musk is not simply a private citizen given “unprecedented access to personal or sensitive information.” He already holds some of the highest-level security clearances in government as a key defense contractor doing work integral to ensuring U.S. military superiority.

The rocket technology and satellites he produces are used across the federal government, including in the Department of Defense. His Starlink satellite internet system has been critical in supporting domestic disaster relief efforts and helping American allies abroad. There are few, if any, private individuals who have done more to advance America’s technological and defense capabilities in modern history. If there is anyone qualified to bring the federal government into the 21st century and improve its efficiency, it is Elon Musk.

The left has stomped its collective feet because it claims DOGE is working in secret. However, it fails to acknowledge that it is subject to the requirements of the Presidential Records Act and that the White House has issued regular declarations of its progress. Each executive agency’s DOGE team works in coordination with agency heads to ensure the implementation of the mission. Indeed, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has approved DOGE’s lawful access to unclassified records and systems to facilitate this integration.

Despite rants from Democrats and media figures, no evidence supports the allegation that Mr. Musk or anyone else has unlawfully accessed or seized sensitive data. Any access is strictly regulated, and the role of DOGE is focused on modernizing outdated systems, not compiling private information. The real threat to Americans’ privacy has come from an unchecked bureaucracy that has mismanaged data security for decades. The reforms proposed by Mr. Trump and implemented by individuals like Mr. Musk are designed to prevent government overreach, not expand it.

That’s not to say there shouldn’t be oversight because there will be. I am proud to serve as a member of the new DOGE Caucus in Congress, and we will work alongside Mr. Trump and DOGE to introduce reforms that streamline government operations, eliminate inefficiencies and restore fiscal responsibility in Washington.

In sum, Mr. Trump’s opponents seem unwilling to listen to the voters in November’s election. The people said they wanted a more efficient government that spent less of their money, and that’s what they’re getting with DOGE.