US President Donald Trump has announced that Elon Musk will help uncover what he claims could be “hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud” within federal agencies. Speaking to Fox News ahead of the Super Bowl, Trump revealed that Musk, who heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), will spearhead efforts to root out wasteful spending across various government departments.
Trump emphasized that his administration prioritized identifying and eliminating wasteful practices within the federal government, especially in agencies considered inefficient. He said, “The American people want me to find waste, and I’m going to find it with Elon Musk’s help.” According to Trump, Musk will begin by inspecting specific departments, starting with the Department of Education and then moving on to the military. “I’m going to tell him very soon, like maybe in 24 hours, to go check the Department of Education… Then we’ll check the military,” Trump added.
National Security Adviser Mike Waltz supported Trump’s initiative and suggested that the Pentagon’s shipbuilding processes could also fall under Musk’s scrutiny. Waltz referred to the Pentagon’s shipbuilding operations as “an absolute mess” and indicated that they would be prime areas for Musk to investigate.
The White House describes Musk as a “special government employee” and has tasked him with identifying inefficiencies and reducing the size of the federal workforce. This effort is part of Trump’s broader plan to cut costs and curb what he views as excessive government spending. One of Musk’s first actions was to oversee a crackdown on the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), resulting in over 2,000 employees being placed on leave. However, a judge temporarily blocked this move after it was challenged in court.
Musk’s actions have not been without controversy, leading to a slew of lawsuits. Critics have filed over 40 lawsuits against Musk’s attempts to access confidential data from government agencies, including a recent New York court ruling that temporarily blocked DOGE-affiliated officials from accessing certain information. These legal challenges reflect growing tensions around Musk’s role in the Trump administration’s efforts to cut government spending.
In response to the mounting lawsuits, White House spokesperson Harrison Fields described the legal actions as “an extension of the Left’s resistance” and assured that the Trump administration is ready to face these challenges in court. The ongoing legal battles, particularly the efforts to restrict birthright citizenship, have drawn attention, with several rulings appealing, potentially leading to a showdown at the US Supreme Court.
With Trump’s continued push to overhaul federal agencies, Musk’s role as a central figure in his administration’s cost-cutting agenda will likely continue to stir debate, especially as the legal landscape surrounding these initiatives unfolds.
