Trump Plans to Create Elon Musk-Led Government Efficiency Commission

In a speech to the Economic Club of New York, former president Donald Trump detailed economic plans including a government efficiency commission proposed by Elon Musk to cut federal spending.

The Details: Trump and Musk recently discussed the idea of a government efficiency commission on Musk's X platform. In his speech Thursday, Trump said the commission would perform a "complete financial and performance audit of the entire federal government" to recommend "drastic reforms." Other plans Trump discussed included lowering the corporate tax rate to 15% for companies with American-made products, establishing a sovereign wealth fund, revoking unused funds appropriated by President Joe Biden's administration, and preventing unauthorized immigrants from obtaining mortgages.

For Context: Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris has also outlined elements of her economic agenda in recent weeks.

How the Media Covered It: NBC News (Lean Left bias) called the plan "wildly optimistic" and linked it to Trump's goal of expanding presidential power to dismiss federal workers and dissolve agencies. The article also mentioned a 2022 dispute between Musk and Trump, noting the pair's reconciliation since. New York Daily News (Left) said Musk is "sharpening his ax" and featured a labor complaint against him from the United Auto Workers for firing workers on strike. Wall Street Journal (Center) noted potential "conflicts of interest" due to Musk's companies being subject to many government regulations. Washington Examiner (Lean Right) covered criticisms of Biden and attempts to rein in the "administrative state" by various elected Republicans.