WASHINGTON: United State special govt staff, tech leader in Tesla, Inc. and SpaceX, Elon Musk has denied claims that he is leading a HOSTILE TAKEOVER of the US government. On February 11, Musk made a surprise visit to the White House, where he defended his plans to cut government spending.
Musk stood next to President Donald Trump in the Oval Office and answered questions from reporters. Trump has put Musk in charge of reducing the size of the federal government and its expenses. To support this, Trump signed an order giving Musk’s agency, the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), more power to reduce the federal workforce. Government agencies were also ordered to follow Doge’s instructions.
Musk’s cost-cutting efforts have faced strong criticism, especially from Democrats, who say the process lacks transparency. There have also been legal challenges. However, Musk insisted that his measures are "common sense" and not extreme.
Musk, who was appointed rather than elected, also criticized federal workers, calling them an UNELECTED branch of government with too much power. He wore a black "Make America Great Again" cap and brought his young son, to the news conference. "It is not a choice to cut spending, it is necessary for America’s financial stability," Musk said.
He also responded to a false claim about the US sending millions of dollars worth of condoms to Gaza. "Sometimes, I say things that turn out to be incorrect, and they should be corrected," he admitted.
Since Trump took office, Musk has been leading efforts to shrink the federal government. His agency has reviewed spending, encouraged workers to take buyouts, and frozen funding for agencies like the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
Trump praised Musk’s work, claiming that over USD1 trillion in wasteful spending would be uncovered. However, he did not provide evidence.
Critics, including Democratic leaders, argue that Musk’s actions amount to an "unelected shadow government" taking over. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer vowed to block these efforts by introducing new laws. However, since Republicans control Congress, the main challenges have been legal battles in court.
Trump expressed hope that the courts would support his plans. He also dismissed concerns about Musk’s business interests creating conflicts of interest, saying that if any problems arose, "we would not let him work on those areas."
Trump signed an executive order demanding "significant" cuts to the federal workforce. The order also instructed agencies to create plans for large-scale layoffs. Once the hiring freeze Trump put in place ends, agencies will only be allowed to hire one new employee for every four that leave.
A new poll suggested that many Republicans support Musk’s cost-cutting approach, but most Americans want Trump to focus more on lowering prices.
One of the hardest-hit agencies is USAID. On Tuesday, the agency’s inspector general was fired, just one day after releasing a report criticizing plans to put most USAID staff on leave and shut down aid programs worldwide.