CNN’s Fareed Zakaria Endorses Musk and Ramaswamy’s Effort to Reform U.S. Federal Spending as Trump’s New Department of Government Efficiency Takes Shape

CNN host Fareed Zakaria recently shared an unexpected compliment towards Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, describing them as “brilliant” and expressing excitement over their ambitious plan to reduce government spending.

Zakaria’s remarks are notably different from the skepticism voiced by other pundits, especially regarding the recent announcement of Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

The Creation of DOGE

The new agency, DOGE, will be co-led by Musk, the CEO of Tesla, and Ramaswamy, a former Republican presidential candidate.

Their mission is to tackle wasteful government spending, with Musk aiming to cut $2 trillion in spending within the agency’s first few years.

During his weekend show, Zakaria revealed that among Trump’s recent proposals, the formation of DOGE stood out the most to him.

The Federal Government’s Growing Size

Zakaria praised Musk and Ramaswamy, calling them “brilliant,” and noted that the federal government had become overly expansive.

He pointed out that the federal budget and government structure had grown unwieldy over time.

Trump had also voiced concern over the excessive $6.5 trillion spent annually to maintain the federal government, which Zakaria echoed, citing that the spending needed serious scrutiny.

The Republican Legacy of Spending Cuts

Zakaria highlighted how the duo would challenge the Republican Party to face a long-standing issue—spending cuts.

For decades, Republicans have promised to reduce government expenditures, particularly since the passage of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal in the 1930s.

Despite the party’s strong rhetoric, those cuts never fully materialized.

Now, with the federal debt surpassing $36 trillion, the pressure to cut spending has never been more urgent.

Areas to Focus on for Cuts

While Zakaria supports the move to trim government spending, he acknowledged that some areas, like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, may prove too vital to target.

However, he believes that there are still many other areas where waste can be addressed.

About 15 percent of the federal budget remains, covering expenses like veterans’ benefits, agricultural subsidies, and infrastructure spending on roads and highways.

The Path to Achieving Spending Cuts

To reach Musk’s ambitious goal of slashing $2 trillion, Zakaria noted that drastic measures would be required, including eliminating not only non-essential spending but also a significant portion of Pentagon funding.

However, he concluded by voicing his support for the push to reform, seeing it as an opportunity for increased government scrutiny and efficiency—both of which he believes are desperately needed.