Billionaire Elon Musk appeared at the White House on Tuesday alongside President Donald Trump to defend his role in restructuring the federal government, responding to criticism over transparency and accountability.
Trump praised Musk’s leadership of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and signed an executive order expanding Musk’s authority over federal workforce reductions. The order grants DOGE significant influence, requiring its approval for nearly all new hiring.
Musk, wearing a “Make America Great Again” cap, described DOGE’s reforms as common sense and dismissed concerns about the scale of government cuts. “The people voted for major government reform, and that’s what they’re going to get,” Musk told reporters.
The executive order follows growing concerns over government oversight, particularly after the abrupt firing of the inspector general for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The dismissal came one day after the inspector general reported challenges in tracking $8.2 billion in humanitarian aid funds, following DOGE-led restructuring of the agency.
Musk claimed DOGE’s actions were fully documented on its website and X, the social media platform he owns. However, reports indicate the website provides no detailed information on program cuts, and DOGE’s X posts lack specifics on budget reductions.
Musk’s increasing influence in government has also raised ethical concerns, given his companies’ multi-billion-dollar contracts with the Pentagon and intelligence agencies. Critics warn DOGE’s expanded role could give Musk access to U.S. Treasury payment systems.
The Trump administration has been pushing for federal workforce reductions, but a previous attempt to encourage buyouts was blocked by a federal judge. In response, Trump and Musk criticized the judiciary, calling for potential action against federal judges.
“We want to weed out the corruption,” Trump said. “And it seems hard to believe that a judge could say we don’t want you to do that.”
Musk echoed Trump’s frustration, calling judicial opposition a “coup” against government reform efforts.
