PHOENIX (AP) — Former President Donald Trump said Thursday he would create a government efficiency audit commission to examine the entire federal government, an idea that originated with billionaire Elon Musk, who would lead the commission.
The commission is the latest high-profile alliance between Trump and Musk, who heads Tesla and SpaceX, among others, and has become increasingly vocal in his support of Trump’s efforts to return to the White House.
The Republican presidential candidate claimed that in 2022, “fraud and improper payments alone are estimated to cost taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars.” He said the commission would recommend “drastic reforms” and develop a plan to eliminate fraud and improper payments within six months, which he said would save trillions of dollars.
“We have to do it,” Trump said. “We can’t continue like this.”
Trump also promised to repeal ten more for every novel regulation that goes into effect if he is elected in November.
He announced the plans in a speech to the Economic Club of New York, a group of executives and industry leaders, where he also presented proposals to reduce regulations, raise energy production, introduce cryptocurrencies and dramatically cut government spending and corporate taxes on companies that manufacture in the United States.
“I look forward to serving America whenever the opportunity arises,” Musk wrote on X, the social media platform he owns. “No pay, no title, no recognition required.”
The former president and Musk discussed the entrepreneur’s role in a second Trump administration during a streamed conversation on X last month.
“You are the biggest cut-throat official,” Trump told Musk at the time. “I need an Elon Musk – I need someone who has a lot of strength, courage and brains. I want to close the Department of Education and bring education back to the States.”
Trump and Musk, two of the most powerful men in the world, have gone from bitter rivals to unexpected allies over the course of an election season.
Musk, who until recently described himself as a “moderate Democrat,” said in 2022 that Trump was too senior to be president again. Nevertheless, Musk officially endorsed Trump two days after his assassination attempt last month.
Presidents have launched various efforts to reform government over the years, including the National Partnership for Reinventing Government, which was created during Bill Clinton’s presidency and led by then-Vice President Al Gore. The goal was to simplify the federal bureaucracy, reduce costs, and make agencies more citizen-friendly.
