Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said he would create a government efficiency commission headed by billionaire Elon Musk if he won the election, according to Reuters.
Speaking at the Economic Club of New York, the former president also promised to cut corporate tax rates for companies manufacturing domestically. He promised to create “low-tax” zones on federal lands where construction companies would be encouraged to build new homes.
Trump has been discussing the idea of an efficiency commission with aides for weeks, but Thursday was the first time he publicly endorsed the initiative.
The candidate also said Musk had agreed to lead the organisation. Trump did not specify how such a commission would work, but said it would develop a plan to eliminate “fraud and improper payments” within six months of its creation.
I will create a government efficiency commission tasked with conducting a complete financial and performance audit of the entire federal government.
For his part, Musk reported on X on Thursday:
I look forward to serving America if the opportunity arises. No pay, no title, no recognition is needed.
Trump’s proposal drew a backlash from Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, a union representing about 750,000 federal employees. He accused Trump and Musk of wishing to replace sacked workers with their allies.
Economic initiatives
During his speech, Trump reiterated his plan to cut the corporate tax rate from 21% to 15%, but only for companies that manufactured domestically. He also said he would unlock federal land for housing development to lower the cost of housing.
The former president added that he would cancel unspent funds related to the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act signed into law by Joe Biden. Trump also claimed that he would “issue a national emergency declaration” to help new energy projects overcome bureaucratic hurdles more easily.
Trump stated he would ban mortgages for migrants living in California illegally after claiming they raised housing costs. He had an 11% lead on the economy in July but it shrank to 3% in August, Reuters/Ipsos polls showed.
