In a recent series of announcements regarding key cabinet positions, Donald Trump made headlines by appointing Elon Musk as Secretary of Government Efficiency.

Joining Musk in this new department is former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. Trump stated that the duo he selected will “pave the way for my administration to dismantle government bureaucracy, cut excessive regulations, curb wasteful spending, and restructure federal agencies.”

“A smaller government, with greater efficiency and less bureaucracy, will be the perfect gift to America for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. I am confident they will succeed!” concluded the new U.S. President in his announcement.

Immediately following the announcement of his appointment to the new Department of Efficiency, Elon Musk launched a barrage of posts on X (formerly Twitter), signaling his intentions.

First, he responded to critics who claim that this new governmental agency poses a threat to democracy. “A threat to democracy? No, a threat to bureaucracy,” replied the South African magnate.

He then resurfaced an old video of himself discussing cuts to federal agencies, stating back then that there were about 428 of them, and writing in his post: “99 federal agencies are more than enough.”

“We either make the government more efficient, or America will go bankrupt. That’s the ultimate issue at stake. I hope I’m wrong, but that’s the reality,” Musk continued.

The South African billionaire also pledged that “all actions taken by the Department of Government Efficiency will be published online to ensure maximum transparency. Whenever the public believes we are cutting something important or not cutting something wasteful, they should let us know. We will also have a board listing the biggest absurd wastes of taxpayer money. It will be both extremely tragic and extremely funny.”

Fox News Host as the New Defense Secretary

At the same time, Trump announced his intention to appoint Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary. Hegseth, a former infantry major in the National Guard decorated for his service in the Iraq War, is also an author and a host on Fox News, the television network favored by the American right.

“With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies will be warned — our armed forces will reclaim their greatness, and America will never back down,” Trump declared via Truth Social.