DOGE Targets Bureaucratic Bloat, Calls For ‘Super High-IQ’ Volunteers
President-elect Donald Trump is charging ahead with plans to reduce federal inefficiency, unveiling the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are leading the initiative, which calls for top talent to tackle waste, fraud, and unnecessary regulations.
DOGE has made a bold request for volunteers willing to work 80-plus hours a week without pay. The group’s social media post emphasized the need for “super high-IQ” individuals ready to engage in challenging, unglamorous work aimed at reshaping federal operations.
Musk acknowledged the difficulties ahead, warning that participants will make “lots of enemies” as they push through needed changes. Trump has framed DOGE as a transformative project, comparing it to the Manhattan Project and stating that its goals have been Republican priorities for decades.
The scope of federal waste is staggering. Improper payments by government agencies have totaled $2.7 trillion since 2003, with Medicare and Medicaid among the biggest culprits. Fraud also siphons off $233 billion to $521 billion annually, according to the Government Accountability Office.
Maya MacGuineas of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget expressed support for the initiative, saying it’s critical to use taxpayer dollars wisely. She urged DOGE to focus on bipartisan cooperation and tackle inefficiencies across all major budget areas, including health care and defense.
With Trump, Musk, and Ramaswamy at the helm, DOGE represents a major push to hold federal agencies accountable while streamlining operations. Conservatives view the initiative as a long-overdue step toward curbing government overreach.
