U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump said today that if he wins the election on November 5, he will create a commission on government efficiency to be headed by billionaire Elon Musk, Reuters reported, cited by BTA.
The former US president has been discussing the idea of creating a government efficiency commission with aides for weeks, agency sources said, but in a speech to the Economic Club of New York he announced his plans publicly for the first time.
In addition, Trump said for the first time that Musk had agreed to head the future body.
"I will create a government efficiency commission that will be tasked with conducting a full financial audit and performance review of the entire federal government and making recommendations for drastic reforms," he said.
Musk said in an Aug. 19 podcast that he had conversations with the former president about the matter and that he would be interested in working on such a body.
"I look forward to serving America if given the opportunity,” the billionaire wrote today in "X".
I look forward to serving America if the opportunity arises.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 5, 2024
No pay, no title, no recognition is needed. https://t.co/5PSNtjBQn7
In the opening words of his speech, Trump named a number of business leaders in the audience, including the CEO of bank "JP Morgan" (J.P. Morgan) Jamie Dimon and the CEO of "Blackstone" (Blackstone) Stephen Schwartzman.
During the election campaign, Trump often blamed the Democratic candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris, for the increase in the prices of household goods during the term of President Joe Biden.
Although headline inflation has slowed over the past two years, polls show many American consumers are still unhappy about the higher prices they have to pay for food, gasoline and other items. Most voters see Trump as more competent in managing the economy, but his advantage over Harris on this issue is shrinking, Reuters summarizes.