The Scoop
Brad Smith, formally a top player at Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, is returning to the Trump administration to focus on global health at the State Department.
Smith will be leading and designing the department’s strategy on the issue, a senior State official confirmed to Semafor. The news comes after Smith left government in May, before Musk’s explosive break with President Donald Trump.
“He is uniquely qualified to spearhead the overhaul of an inefficient and often wasteful system that has the potential — with creativity and thoughtfulness — to deliver real value for the American people and our partners around the world,” the State official said, touting Smith’s “ingenuity and experience.”
Know More
Smith, founder and CEO of the health care startup firm Russell Street Ventures, joined DOGE at its inception: Even before Trump took office, he played a key role as the operation took shape during the presidential transition.
During its earliest days, as The New York Times reported, Smith was effectively running DOGE alongside Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who Trump tapped to lead the administration’s efforts to cut waste and reduce the size of government.
Once DOGE was formalized, Smith focused his expertise on the Department of Health and Human Services and was responsible for heading up the DOGE team there. HHS implemented sweeping cuts during Smith’s tenure to the tune of around $67 billion, Stat News reported in June.
While a number of top DOGE staffers left after Musk departed, others quietly shifted into other, more permanent roles inside the administration.
Notable
Smith was one of several original DOGE employees who left the administration this spring, Politico reported.
Comments