David Marchese

They talked about, as you said, cutting about $2 trillion from the federal budget. You know, the numbers like that can get kind of abstract at that size. But what that really means is about a third of the federal budget they want to cut. And they also want to make huge cuts to regulation, to the number of regulations, to the size of the regulatory state.

Now, it's important to note that there is fat in the federal government. There is potentially room to cut it. But the thing they're taking on, it's really not just in numbers, but in sort of effort, is going to be a massive task.

Now, it's important to note that there is fat in the federal government. There is potentially room to cut it. But the thing they're taking on, it's really not just in numbers, but in sort of effort, is going to be a massive task.

Right. It's hard to argue with the idea that those government processes could be made more efficient. And on paper, Elon Musk is a really good person to put in charge of efficiency.

Right. It's hard to argue with the idea that those government processes could be made more efficient. And on paper, Elon Musk is a really good person to put in charge of efficiency.

He has many areas of success, but the thing that he has done best over his career is process engineering, taking a process like assembling a car, assembling a rocket, building a thing, and making that process run faster, smoother, cheaper.

He has many areas of success, but the thing that he has done best over his career is process engineering, taking a process like assembling a car, assembling a rocket, building a thing, and making that process run faster, smoother, cheaper.

I mean, the way he changed the assembly process for Teslas particularly, and for SpaceX, there's a reason why his companies build those things faster than others. So he is a great expert in efficiency, at least in that kind of efficiency, sort of manufacturing efficiency. In fact, this whole thing, the whole doge, I mean, as you could probably tell from the name, this is Elon's idea.

I mean, the way he changed the assembly process for Teslas particularly, and for SpaceX, there's a reason why his companies build those things faster than others. So he is a great expert in efficiency, at least in that kind of efficiency, sort of manufacturing efficiency. In fact, this whole thing, the whole doge, I mean, as you could probably tell from the name, this is Elon's idea.

There was actually a recording of it happening. Musk is interviewing Trump in August on X, Musk's social media platform.

There was actually a recording of it happening. Musk is interviewing Trump in August on X, Musk's social media platform.

Then Trump says, oh, yeah, sure, we'll do that. So this is Musk's idea. And so he's the one who sort of planted this idea. And he's really focused on it since Trump was elected.

Then Trump says, oh, yeah, sure, we'll do that. So this is Musk's idea. And so he's the one who sort of planted this idea. And he's really focused on it since Trump was elected.

Thank you, Elon.

Thank you, Elon.

And then Vivek Ramaswamy, this partner in this, is somebody who briefly ran for president. It seems like a million years ago, but a year ago was running for president. And he talked a lot on this campaign trail about also cutting government, how to make government smaller. So they're really focused on this idea of efficiency.

And then Vivek Ramaswamy, this partner in this, is somebody who briefly ran for president. It seems like a million years ago, but a year ago was running for president. And he talked a lot on this campaign trail about also cutting government, how to make government smaller. So they're really focused on this idea of efficiency.

But listen, the question for all of us looking at this effort is, what do they mean by efficiency? That's an easy question to define when we're talking about making a car efficient. But what exactly does it mean when you're talking about government?

But listen, the question for all of us looking at this effort is, what do they mean by efficiency? That's an easy question to define when we're talking about making a car efficient. But what exactly does it mean when you're talking about government?

So it seems to me, honestly, like they are still figuring this out themselves. But to the degree that we know their plan, they spelled that out in an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal last month. And they laid out a few different ways that they say they would go about sort of beginning to identify and then make the right cuts.