Elon Musk just made his first foray into the world of politics, and fans are far from pleased. The tech mogul was instrumental in helping Donald Trump emerge victorious in the 2024 elections. The Republican defeated Kamala Harris by both popular vote and the electoral college. Now, with Trump set to enter office, he has begun setting up his cabinet, and to no one’s surprise, Musk was included.
On Tuesday, the President-elect announced that Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency.” Explaining the reasoning behind his choice, Trump said:
“Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies – Essential to the ‘Save America’ Movement.”
Recall that Musk, who donated over $100 million to a pro-Trump super PAC, had suggested the department in the past. In the months leading up the the elections, the Tesla CEO often lamented about the spending of the country. It also comes as no surprise that the initials of the new department form the meme cryptocurrency dogecoin, which Musk adopted and often promotes.
Per CNN, Musk’s appointment raises questions about potential conflicts of interest because his companies benefit from lucrative government contracts. Unfortunately, Trump didn’t explain how he and his administration will tackle that.
‘A Wild Drug Trip!’ Fans Blast Elon Musk Loyalist Appointment
The president-elect, however, in his speech shared Musk’s reaction to the appointment. He quoted the billionaire as saying:
“This will send shockwaves through the system, and anyone involved in Government waste, which is a lot of people!”
While the Space X founder seems ready to tackle this new role, many citizens online don’t think he is equipped. They believe the appointment is a gift for Musk’s loyalty to Trump and would only line his pockets more because of the conflict of interest.
“It’s a f**king meme: D.O.G.E. Musk has been obsessed with dogecoin for ages and now he’s using some fake government department to increase its value. This s**t is so stupid, I don’t know what to say,” one fan lamented.
“We truly live in an oligarchy do we?” a second comment on Reddit read.
“I feel like the past week I’ve been on a wild drug trip… and it keeps getting trippier,” an aggrieved citizen penned.
“After seeing what happened to Twitter, I’m concerned. That place is a shit hole now,” a fourth comment read.
Since Trump won the election, his relationship with Musk has become much closer, with the Tesla CEO making near-daily visits to his Mar-a-Lago residence. The billionaire was even branded “uncle” by the president’s granddaughter, Kai Trump. Hence, it comes as no surprise that fans are skeptical. However, only time will tell if Musk will be efficient in his new role.
