Trump Naming Elon Musk as Czar of Government Efficiency is ‘the Ultimate Corruption’

November 12, 2024

Trump Naming Elon Musk as Czar of Government Efficiency is 'the Ultimate Corruption'

Washington D.C. - President-elect Donald Trump saidon Tuesday that he will appoint Elon Musk as co-lead of the yet-to-be-created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which aims to "slash" government regulations. Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen, issued the following statement:

"The purpose of government regulations is to protect the American people. We all depend on these regulations to protect our air, water, workers, children's safety, and so much more. 'Cutting red tape' is shorthand for getting rid of the safeguards that protect us in order to benefit corporate interests. Our problem is corporate capture of so much of our public policy, not this lie that corporations are held back by too many rules. Placing Elon Musk, the ultimate corporate tycoon, in authority over government efficiency is laughable. Public Citizen condemns this choice.

"Musk not only knows nothing about government efficiency and regulation, his own businesses have regularly run afoul of the very rules he will be in position to attack in his new 'czar' position. This is the ultimate corporate corruption. If anyone had any doubts whether the Trump government aims to serve regular people or the billionaires, they should now be resolved."