Salesforce (CRM) CEO Marc Benioff has voiced support for Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s involvement in the proposed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), part of the incoming Trump administration’s plan to tackle wasteful government spending.
Benioff highlighted the importance of balancing the federal budget, calling it a critical bipartisan issue. “We have to get to a balanced budget faster,” Benioff said in an interview with Yahoo Finance. “This is not a Republican or Democratic issue.”
The proposal for DOGE has generated buzz, partly due to its acronym, which shares its name with Musk’s favored cryptocurrency, Dogecoin (DOGE-USD). According to Trump’s plans, DOGE would aim to eliminate fraud and improper payments within six months. Musk and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy have been named as the department’s leaders.
Musk estimates that up to $2 trillion in government costs could be cut, but critics argue such reductions could harm programs like Social Security and Medicare. Musk has pointed to “massive waste in healthcare spending” as a key area for reform.
Benioff suggested technology like AI-powered digital agents could play a role in streamlining government processes, adding, “We’re already working with many government agencies worldwide to bring in this technology to create more efficient systems.”
The U.S. budget deficit reached $1.83 trillion in FY 2024, its highest level outside of the pandemic era, as interest payments on federal debt exceeded $1 trillion for the first time.
Benioff, who served on President George W. Bush’s IT advisory committee, emphasized the need for innovative solutions to avoid further fiscal challenges.