US President-elect Donald Trump announced that Elon Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will head the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, and Pete Hegseth, a Fox News host, has been nominated for Secretary of Defense. This is what Western publications are discussing today, BTA writes in its press review.
The British newspaper "Guardian" reports that Musk has long pushed for the creation of a government efficiency department and has been promoting it ever since, emphasizing the agency's acronym DOGE (the full name of the ministry is the Department of Government Efficiency). DOGE is a reference to a dog breed meme and the cryptocurrency "Dogecoin" that Musk promotes, the newspaper explains. It adds that the value of "Dogecoin" has more than doubled since Election Day, and Tesla shares have risen by about 30% since the election.
In a statement to reporters last month, Musk said his goal was to cut government spending by $2 trillion, the Guardian reports. and cites experts who say these spending cuts could lead to deregulation and policy changes with a direct impact on "Musk's universe of companies".
"The Guardian" quotes stock market analyst Daniel Ives as saying that it is "clear that Musk will have a huge role in the Trump White House with his growing reach apparently across many federal agencies." According to the German magazine "Spiegel" since acquiring the "Ex" platform, Musk has increasingly attracted attention with aggressive publications and all sorts of conspiracy theories.
Another British newspaper, "The Telegraph", writes that Trump has nominated Pete Hegsett, a Fox News host, for Secretary of Defense. But his appointment has drawn criticism from officials and leaders who have expressed skepticism about his level of experience, the newspaper said. It quoted Paul Rickhoff, founder of the Independent Veterans of America, as saying in an op-ed in the Express that Hegsett is "arguably the least qualified defense secretary candidate in American history."
"The Telegraph" also quoted Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, as saying he was shocked by the appointment. "I admit that I didn't know who Pete Hegsett was until 20 minutes ago," Smith told reporters. In contrast, House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson welcomed Trump's choice, saying he thought Hegsett "would make a great addition to the job," the Telegraph reported.
According to the Financial Times, Hegsett, a 44-year-old army veteran with no civil service experience, is an "unconventional choice." The newspaper said Hegsett's choice suggests Trump will have a close ally who will be willing to carry out his policy statements and decisions. The Financial Times adds that Marco Rubio, the Florida senator, is expected to become secretary of state.
Trump said he was nominating former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee as the next U.S. ambassador to Israel, choosing a staunchly pro-Israel conservative, and named New York businessman Steven Witkoff, a longtime ally, as special envoy to the Middle East. Trump's Middle East appointments are a sign that the U.S. will adopt an even friendlier approach than the Joe Biden administration toward Benjamin Netanyahu's Israeli government, likely allowing him to continue his military campaigns against "Hamas" and "Hezbollah," the newspaper wrote.
The American newspaper "Wall Street Journal" notes that the choice of defense secretary is a continuation of Trump's practice of not trusting familiar national security experts from civilian and military circles, which he tried at the beginning of his first term, but rather new faces. Trump's critics say that he and Musk are seeking to end government protectionism in a number of areas - from education to the environment - and get rid of thousands of government employees, writes the newspaper "USA Today".
"Musk and Ramaswamy running a non-existent efficiency department would be laughable if the consequences weren't so serious," Brett Hartle, director of government affairs at the Center for Biological Diversity, told the newspaper. "Elon Musk may think money circumvents the rule of law and our democratic system of government, but we will make sure any illegal attempt to harm public officials fails," he added.
Lisa Gilbert, co-president of "Public Citizen", a progressive consumer rights group, said the term "cutting red tape" is a coded message or password that means "removing mechanisms that protect us to benefit corporate interests".
Eric Edelman, who served as the Pentagon's chief policy officer during the Bush administration, told the American edition of "Politico" magazine that "one of the main criteria used is how well a given person defends Donald Trump on television".
The magazine writes that Trump's rhetoric during his election campaign has fueled fears that his second term could lead to hasty and controversial changes in the Pentagon. "Politico" also quotes Max Bergman, a former Obama administration official. “I think it's a surprising choice - when all the rhetoric from Trump and everyone else is that the world is falling apart, he picks someone who is not necessarily the most experienced”, Bergman commented on Hegseth's appointment as Pentagon chief.