Advisers to Donald Trump said the goal of the commission would be to “analyze the functionality” of the federal government and look for ways to find savings for taxpayers.
- Share full article
Former President Donald J. Trump plans to give an economy-focused speech in New York on Thursday.
Former President Donald J. Trump will call for the creation of a government efficiency commission in an economic speech in New York on Thursday, adopting a policy idea that was pitched to him by the billionaire businessman Elon Musk.
Advisers to Mr. Trump said the goal of the commission would be to “analyze the functionality” of the federal government and look for ways to find savings for taxpayers.
Mr. Trump’s embrace of the concept comes as he is trying to define how his stewardship of the economy would differ from that of his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris. He has assailed her economic vision as one that would saddle the economy with wasteful spending and burdensome regulations.
Trump advisers said it was not yet clear how such a commission would be staffed.
Former Trump administration officials have argued that Mr. Trump could make rapid progress in a second term with deregulation across the federal government, an idea that is popular with businesses.
Mr. Trump also plans in his speech on Thursday, an address to the Economic Club of New York, to renew his pitch for lowering taxes and raising tariffs on imports. He will also make the case for a repeal of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which was President Biden’s signature climate and tax legislation.
Mr. Trump had previously discussed the idea of an efficiency commission but he stopped short of saying he would adopt it, in a live-streamed conversation with Mr. Musk last month on X, the entrepreneur’s social-media platform.
Though Mr. Musk was once a strong supporter of Democrats and a vocal Trump skeptic, he has grown closer with Mr. Trump as his own politics have shifted. As the tech billionaire became more conservative, Mr. Trump and his team began courting his support.
Mr. Musk endorsed Mr. Trump in July, just hours after Mr. Trump survived an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania. Their closeness culminated in Mr. Trump’s return to X, which was formerly Twitter and was long Mr. Trump’s favored social-media platform before he was barred in 2021 and launched a competitor.
Mr. Musk has proved a sympathetic partner both to boost Mr. Trump’s views and to attack the Biden administration and Ms. Harris.
Michael Gold is a political correspondent for The Times covering the campaigns of Donald J. Trump and other candidates in the 2024 presidential elections. More about Michael Gold
Alan Rappeport is an economic policy reporter, based in Washington. He covers the Treasury Department and writes about taxes, trade and fiscal matters. More about Alan Rappeport
See more on: Donald Trump, Elon Musk, 2024 Elections: News, Polls and Analysis, U.S. Politics
- Share full article
SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
Source: nytimes.com
