Musk and Ramaswamy propose to review the use of public funds in NGOs

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy plan to overhaul nongovernmental organization (NGO) funding as part of their work on the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an initiative created by President-elect Donald Trump to reduce government spending and promote public transparency.

Ramaswamy highlighted this intention in a recent post on X, stressing that government funding to NGOs not only represents an inefficient use of citizens' tax dollars, but also contributes to deeper problems, such as a lack of transparency in foreign aid. According to the businessman, this vague system favors the promotion of external agendas without adequate public control, which, he says, could be exacerbating internal problems such as the border crisis.

"It's an oxymoron that represents a waste of taxpayer dollars, but the real problem runs deeper: Americans deserve transparency on opaque foreign aid & nonprofit groups abetting our own border crisis," Ramaswamy said.

Elon Musk expressed his full support for these statements with a simple but resounding "Absolutely," strengthening the team DOGE position.

The discussion intensified when Kimbal Musk, Elon's brother, chimed in with a direct criticism of the role of NGOs, calling them tools of government manipulation. "NGO’s are the govt’s way of creating mouthpieces that promote their agenda and push for censorship without the normal checks and balances that govt has to follow. They need to go," Kimbal said. Elon Musk also endorsed this view by responding with a "Yes."

External leadership for internal change

In an article published in the Wall Street Journal last month, Musk and Ramaswamy made it clear that they will play their role at DOGE as "outside volunteers" and not as federal officials or employees. Their work will focus on providing strategic advice from outside the formal government structure.

President-elect Trump praised this approach and stressed that DOGE will adopt a revolutionary model for government efficiency. According to Trump, it "will provide advice and guidance from outside of Government, and will partner with the White House and Office of Management and Budget to drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before."

More citizen power

Musk has been a strong advocate for decentralization of power, something he has reiterated on several occasions. In a recent publication, Musk expressed, "Less government means more power to the people."

This vision aligns with the principles of DOGE, which seeks to transform the structure of the federal government with a more efficient, market-oriented approach.