Trump to back Musk’s proposal for government efficiency commission

11:17 am Thursday, September 05th, 2024

By Helen Coster and Gram Slattery

(Reuters) -Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump plans on Thursday to throw his weight behind the creation of a U.S. government efficiency commission recommended by billionaire Elon Musk that would seek to eliminate waste in the federal government, according to a person with knowledge of his remarks.

Trump is expected to make the announcement at the New York Economic Club during a speech scheduled for noon EDT (1600 GMT), said the person, who requested anonymity to discuss remarks that the campaign has not yet publicly disclosed.

The former president has been discussing the idea of a government efficiency commission with aides for weeks, people with knowledge of those conversations have said. This, however, will be the first time he will publicly endorse the idea, which Musk, a major donor and prominent supporter, has advocated.

During an Aug. 13 interview with Musk, Trump said he would “love” a government efficiency commission, though he stopped short of saying he would establish one if he wins the election.

Musk also said on an Aug. 19 podcast that he had held conversations with the former president about the matter and that he would be interested in serving on the body.

The commission would conduct “a complete financial and performance audit of the entire federal government” and make “recommendations for drastic reform,” Trump will say on Thursday, according to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported on Trump’s planned remarks.

Musk on Thursday reiterated his openness to serving on the body.

“I look forward to serving America if the opportunity arises,” Musk wrote on X.

On the campaign trail, Trump has frequently blamed Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, the vice president, for the rise in prices of everyday goods during President Joe Biden’s term in office.

While headline inflation has slowed in the past two years, many U.S. consumers are still unhappy with the higher prices they have to pay for food, gas and other goods, according to public opinion polls.

Trump is seen as a more competent steward of the economy by most voters. But his advantage over Harris on the issue is eroding, surveys show.

(Reporting by Helen Coster and Gram Slattery; Editing by William Maclean, Ross Colvin and Jonathan Oatis)