Congress controls the power of the purse, but Republicans on Capitol Hill have put up little resistance to efforts by the administration to suspend spending that they've already approved.
President Trump said the entity would focus on cutting government waste and slashing federal regulations, and he put tech billionaire and adviser Elon Musk in charge.
Trump has shown an affinity with many of the little guys — what he called in 2017 "the forgotten men and women." But he also has shown an affinity with some of the fattest cats of all.
The Department of Government Efficiency, a post-election promise brought to life by President Trump via executive order, looks different than its original proposal to broadly cut federal spending.
Musk's comments came two days before International Holocaust Remembrance Day and right after he was criticized for making what many viewers interpreted as a Nazi salute during an inauguration speech.
After launching on Thursday, the Starship rocket caught the booster back at the pad but lost contact with the ascending spacecraft as engines went out. Officials for Elon Musk's company confirmed that the spacecraft was destroyed.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday condemned "lies and misinformation" that he said are undermining U.K. democracy, in response to a barrage of attacks on his government from Elon Musk.
Vows to shrink the deficit, pay down the debt and run government more like a business have long been a stock element of politics. Candidates for office who have business backgrounds made it a mantra.
The leaders of the so-called "Department of Government Efficiency" are calling for large-scale layoffs of federal workers and the elimination of some federal agencies during Trump's second term.
President-elect Trump announced a "Department of Government Efficiency," or DOGE, that will be led by Tesla CEO Elon Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, focused on shrinking the federal government.
The billionaire businessman has spent weeks campaigning relentlessly for Donald Trump. That dedication could lead to major benefits for him and his companies.
Common Pleas Court Judge Angelo Foglietta in Pennsylvania — ruling after Musk’s lawyers said the winners are paid spokespeople and not chosen by chance — did not immediately explain his reasoning.