President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday appointed Elon Musk to “dismantle” the U.S. bureaucracy and named longtime Fox News host Pete Hegseth to lead the Pentagon.
Musk, the billionaire CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, pitched himself on the campaign trail as someone who could cut waste from the federal budget. In late October, he claimed $2 trillion could be saved.
Trump said Musk and former Republican primary candidate Vivek Ramaswamy would provide outside advice to his administration from the “Department of Government Efficiency.”
“Together, these two great Americans will help my administration dismantle government bureaucracy, reduce overregulation, reduce wasteful spending, and rebuild our federal agencies,” President Trump said in a statement. It will pave the way for us to do so.” “It could potentially become the ‘Manhattan Project’ of our time.”
President Trump said he would nominate Hegseth as secretary of defense. Hegseth is the co-host of “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been with the channel since 2014.
“Pete is tough, smart and a true believer in America First,” Trump said in a statement. “With Pete in command, America’s enemies will be on guard – our military will be great again and America will never retreat.”
He was an infantry captain in the Army National Guard and served in Afghanistan and Iraq, earning two Bronze Stars.
He was also the CEO of Concerned Veterans for America, a conservative veterans organization. At Fox News, he hosted a variety of specials, including the “All American New Year” special.
“Pete Hegseth is a prominent host on Fox & Friends and Fox Nation, and has been a best-selling author on Fox News Books for nearly a decade,” the network said in a statement. “His insights and analysis, especially on the military, resonated with viewers and made the show the huge success it is today. We are extremely proud of his work at Fox News Media. We wish him the best of luck in Washington.”
President Trump’s announcement noted that Hegseth’s recent book, “The War on Warriors,” spent nine weeks on the New York Times bestseller list.
“This book exposes the left’s betrayal of the Warriors and how we must return our military to meritocracy, lethality, accountability, and excellence,” Trump said. said. “Pete has also led two veterans advocacy organizations and led the fight for our Warriors and our great veterans. There is no one who fights harder for our military, and Pete He will be a courageous and patriotic defender of our policy of “peace through strength.”
Mr. Hegseth was a strong supporter of Mr. Trump’s policies during his first term.
As for Mr. Musk and Mr. Ramaswamy, President Trump said their work will be completed in time for the nation’s 250th anniversary on July 4, 2026.
Musk was quoted as saying in a statement: “This will be a shock to the entire system and many people involved in government waste!”
