President Donald Trump has announced a series of appointments to his second administration, including assigning Elon Musk to head a Department of Government Efficiency and naming Fox News host Pete Hegseth as secretary of defense.
- November 13, 2024
AceShowbiz - President-elect Donald Trump has tasked Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy with leading a new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, and Ramaswamy, a former Republican primary candidate, will provide outside advice to the administration on cutting government bureaucracy and waste. Trump stated that DOGE would be a "Manhattan Project of our time."
Trump also appointed Pete Hegseth, a former infantry captain in the Army National Guard and longtime Fox News host, as secretary of defense. Hegseth is a strong supporter of Trump's policies and has advocated for a return of the military to meritocracy and excellence.
As part of his pledge to streamline government, Trump set a deadline of July 4, 2026, the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, for DOGE to complete its work. Musk expressed confidence in the department's ability to "send shockwaves through the system."
In other key appointments, Trump named Susie Wiles, who managed his 2024 presidential campaign, as White House chief of staff and nominated former director of national intelligence John Ratcliffe to be director of the CIA.
The appointments were met with mixed reactions. Musk's involvement raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest, while Hegseth's past advocacy for pardoning accused war criminals drew scrutiny. Supporters of the appointments, however, welcomed Trump's commitment to reducing government bureaucracy and strengthening the military.
