Donald Trump has tapped a pair of entrepreneurs, Elon Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, to lead his new government waste-cutting organization, dubbed the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

For clarity, DOGE will not be a new government agency. It will operate entirely outside the federal government, but it will work with the White House Office of Management and Budget, providing it with recommendations for enacting waste-cutting measures.

This action by Trump is the first step in fulfilling a campaign promise to tackle Washington’s bloat and overspending. In introducing DOGE, Trump made clear the “what” and the “why” of it: “A smaller government, with more efficiency and less bureaucracy, will be the perfect gift to America on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.” Of the organization’s leadership team, Musk and Ramaswamy, Trump said, “I am confident they will succeed!”

Musk has said he believes that some $2 trillion in federal spending can be cut out of the annual budget. To put that in perspective, the federal government spent some $6.8 trillion in fiscal 2024.

In order for DOGE to succeed, government red tape must be addressed. The firing of federal workers must not be a near-impossible task. As Musk promised, “This will send shockwaves through the system, and anyone involved in Government waste, which is a lot of people!”

DOGE may be one of the more important tools Trump needs to achieve success with his “Save America” agenda. Washington, DC — which Kamala Harris won with 92.5% of the vote — has become a bloated, out-of-touch cabal of elitists whose lust for power has blinded them to the fact that America’s uniqueness has always been rooted in the rights and liberty of everyday people. America’s biggest asset is her people — not Washington, not academia, not big business.

It is this spirit that Trump has tapped into. This is the secret to Trump’s success: He hears, listens to, and cares about what everyday working-class Americans are concerned about. He doesn’t dismiss them as backward, ignorant, bigoted, or racist for simply wanting and expecting Washington to govern according to the principles upon which this great nation was founded.

One of those founding principles that Washington has flagrantly cast aside is limited government. DOGE is Trump’s recognition of this. DOGE is the American people telling Washington, You’ve gotten way too big, and it’s time to cut you down to size.

As Trump stated in his DOGE announcement, “I look forward to Elon and Vivek making changes to the Federal Bureaucracy with an eye on efficiency and, at the same time, making life better for all Americans.” We look forward to that, too.