(PHOENIX) — Former President Donald Trump said Thursday that he would establish a government efficiency commission to conduct an audit of the entire federal government, an idea proposed by billionaire Elon Musk, who would lead the commission.
The commission represents the latest noteworthy alliance between Trump and Musk, who is at the helm of companies such as Tesla and SpaceX and has become a more prominent supporter of Trump’s campaign to return to the White House.
The Republican presidential candidate asserted that in 2022, “fraud and improper payments alone cost taxpayers an estimated hundreds of billions of dollars.” He stated that the commission would recommend “drastic reforms” and devise a plan to eradicate fraud and improper payments within a six-month timeframe, which he claimed would save trillions of dollars.
“We need to do it,” Trump said. “Can’t go on the way we are now.”
Trump also pledged to reduce 10 government regulations for every new regulation implemented if he’s elected president.
He unveiled these plans in a speech to the Economic Club of New York, a gathering of executives and industry leaders, where he also presented proposals to significantly reduce regulations and enhance energy production, embrace cryptocurrencies, and drastically cut government spending along with corporate taxes for companies that manufacture goods within the U.S.
“I look forward to serving America if the opportunity arises,” Musk wrote on X, the social media platform he owns. “No pay, no title, no recognition is needed.”
The former president and Musk discussed a potential role for the entrepreneur in a second Trump administration during a live conversation on X last month.
“You’re the greatest cutter,” Trump told Musk then. “I need an Elon Musk — I need somebody that has a lot of strength and courage and smarts. I want to close up the Department of Education, move education back to the states.”
Trump and Musk, two of the world’s most influential figures, have transitioned from being bitter rivals to unexpected allies over the course of one election season.
Musk, who identified himself as a “moderate Democrat” until recently, suggested in 2022 that Trump was too old to seek the presidency again. Nevertheless, Musk formally endorsed Trump two days after the assassination attempt against him last month.
Presidents have undertaken various efforts to reform government throughout history, including the National Partnership for Reinventing Government established during Bill Clinton’s presidency, which was led by then-Vice President Al Gore. Its objective was to simplify the federal bureaucracy, reduce costs, and make agencies more responsive to the public.