Elon Musk: This is how he will radically restructure the US government authorities

Drastic staff cuts in government authorities, removal of subsidies, deregulation – entrepreneur Elon Musk, appointed special advisor by the future US President Donald Trump, made public his plans for a radical restructuring of the government apparatus in the USA on Wednesday. Excessive bureaucracy is an “existential threat” to US democracy, according to an article published in the “Wall Street Journal” together with the cheap Vivek Ramaswamy. “Now is the moment for decisive action.”

Hundreds of billions of dollars in public spending are now being scrutinized, the two entrepreneurs wrote. In order to reduce costs, massive job cuts “across the entire federal bureaucracy”, the elimination of subsidies and the repeal of numerous regulations are necessary. “Voters gave Donald Trump a clear mandate for radical change on November 5, and they deserve to get it,” the article said.

Trump had appointed Musk, together with Ramaswamy, to head a “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), a new department for government efficiency. The two entrepreneurs are tasked with driving forward the restructuring of the government apparatus through concepts and recommendations. A significantly reduced government apparatus is expected to be in place by mid-2026.

“We will work as outside volunteers, not as federal officials or employees,” Musk and Ramaswamy wrote. In the article they describe different strategies to achieve their goals. Essentially, in his second term, Trump is expected to use executive powers to enforce the plans in an unprecedented manner, with the backing of the Supreme Court.

Critics fear conflicts of interest in Musk’s consulting work, whose companies SpaceX and Tesla also receive government contracts. In the end, this could lead to the entrepreneur practically promoting the abolition of authorities that regulate his companies.

“Massive staff cuts across the entire federal bureaucracy” are planned

In implementing their plans, they would focus on “driving change through executive action based on existing laws,” the two entrepreneurs wrote. There are currently a plethora of federal regulations in the United States that exceed the authority legally granted by Congress. Her department will present Trump with a list of regulations that he could immediately suspend through an executive order.

A minimal reduction in these federal regulations then provides the basis “for a massive reduction in personnel across the entire federal bureaucracy.” Your department will determine the minimum number of employees required in an agency to perform its duties.

Employees whose jobs are being eliminated deserve “to be treated with respect,” the entrepreneurs wrote. The goal of her department is to “make it easier for them to transition into the private sector.” The president could also use current laws to give them incentives to retire early.

The two entrepreneurs address the associated legal concerns in their letter as follows: According to conventional wisdom, the legal protection of the public service hinders the president or his appointees from firing federal employees. However, the law allows for downsizing that is not directed at specific employees.

It also empowers the president to issue rules for the competition. Trump could use these far-reaching powers to curb “the proliferation of administration.”

Declaration of war on the Impoundment Control Act of 1974

The two entrepreneurs also formulated a declaration of war on the so-called Impoundment Control Act of 1974, which prevented the president from setting spending approved by Congress. “Trump has already suggested that this law is unconstitutional, and we believe the Supreme Court would likely side with him on this issue,” she continued.

Federal overspending should end by targeting more than $500 billion in original federal spending that Congress has not authorized or is being spent in ways Congress did not intend.

This included around half a billion dollars for public television, 1.5 billion dollars in grants for international organizations and almost 300 million dollars for groups like Planned Parenthood, which help with family planning but also carry out abortions .

Musk and Ramaswamy wrote that they were prepared for resistance from the established forces in Washington. “We assume that we will prevail.” The ultimate goal is to dissolve DOGE by July 4, 2026 – the date “that we have set for our project.”