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Donald Trump plans efficiency commission headed by Elon Musk

US election campaign
Musk could examine US finances if Trump wins

Donald Trump together with Elon Musk

Apparently they have been getting along well for a long time: Elon Musk (l.) and Donald Trump at a meeting in 2017

© Evan Vucci / AP / Picture Alliance

Elon Musk publicly proposes to Donald Trump a commission to monitor government spending. The presidential candidate apparently liked the idea.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has announced that if he wins the election, he will appoint tech billionaire Elon Musk to head a committee to review US government spending. Trump announced that he wants to set up “a commission on government efficiency” that will conduct a “full financial and performance audit of the entire federal government” and make recommendations for “drastic reforms,” ​​the 78-year-old Republican said in a speech in New York. The commission was a recommendation for Musk. “If he has the time, he will do it well. He has agreed to do it,” Trump said.

Musk has brought himself into play with Donald Trump

Tesla boss Musk is supporting Trump in the presidential election campaign. He regularly stirs up sentiment against the Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, against whom Trump is running in the presidential election on November 5. On his online platform X, he now wrote: “I look forward to serving America when the opportunity arises. No pay, no title and no recognition.” He had previously said in a live conversation with Trump on X in August that such a commission should ensure that taxpayers' money was spent in “a good way” and that his “help” would be offered with such a project.

Trump gave a speech in New York about his plans for economic policy. The former president again announced tariffs on foreign products – during his first term in office, Trump instigated trade conflicts with China and the European Union.

“America will encourage domestic production instead of punishing it,” he said in New York. Economists fear that such broad-based tariffs could fuel inflation in the US again and the costs would be passed on to consumers. Trump rejects this criticism of his proposals. “Foreign countries will pay us hundreds of billions of dollars, which will reduce the deficit and lower inflation,” he said. Many of the tariff opponents work for other countries, Trump further claimed.

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DPA
Reuters