The initial plan for retooling the federal government under President Trump started with three loyal billionaires: the banker Howard Lutnick, the tech leader Elon Musk and the entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Now, it’s down to one. Mr. Lutnick emerged as Mr. Trump’s pick to run the Commerce Department. Mr. Ramaswamy decided to step aside from the … Read more
With the official establishment on Monday of President Trump’s closely watched effort to slash federal spending — which he has called the Department of Government Efficiency — some key information was revealed, including details about how the group will be structured and a new focus on modernizing technology. But a number of critical questions have … Read more
Elon Musk is likely to be given office space in the West Wing, giving him close proximity to President Trump as the world’s richest man steers a project that aims to cut as much as $2 trillion in government spending, two people with knowledge of the planning said. Mr. Musk had been expected to be … Read more
Nonprofit groups filed three lawsuits against President Trump’s administration minutes after he took office on Monday, arguing that his so-called Department of Government Efficiency was violating laws that require federal advisory committees to be open to the public and to include a diversity of viewpoints. Mr. Trump’s new “department” is not actually an agency of … Read more
President Biden warned in his farewell address to the nation last week that an oligarchy is taking shape in America. In Washington, the oligarchs are already here, buying big houses. Counting President-elect Donald J. Trump himself, there are at least a dozen billionaires among his cabinet picks and those headed for senior roles in the … Read more