Donald Trump has announced that Elon Musk will co-head the Department of Labor

President-elect Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that Elon Musk will lead the Department of Government Operations, the acronym of which describes DOGE, Musk’s favorite cryptocurrency. The CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, xAI, Neuralink, and the owner of X, will lead the department along with biotech entrepreneur and presidential hopeful, Vivek Ramaswamy, to pave the way for the Trump administration to “dismantle the Bureaucracy Government, to cut excessive regulations, to cut costs, and to reorganize the Federal Agencies.”

Notably, the DOGE will “provide advice and guidance from outside the government,” suggesting that it will not be a formal government agency requiring legal approval and funding. Instead, DOGE will work with the White House and the Office of Management & Budget, according to a press release.

The Trump campaign noted that DOGE’s work will end before July 4, 2026.

Musk touted the creation of the Department of Public Works a few months ago while campaigning for Trump across the country. However, it was not clear what shape DOGE would actually take, or whether Trump would actually take Musk up on the offer.

At an October meeting in New York, Musk promised to provide “at least two billion dollars” to federal agencies if Trump wins. Whether Musk and Ramaswamy follow through on that promise remains to be seen. Musk never specified which agencies or policies would get those cuts.

Trump and Musk have become very close in recent months, and their relationship has accelerated since the two held talks at X Spaces in August. When Trump ran for president in 2024, Musk donated more than $100 million to a pro-Trump super PAC, called America PAC, while holding rallies for Trump in key states. Trump promised Musk a position as DOGE head during an appearance in September at the Economic Club of New York.