Elon Musk, head of Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), defends aggressive cuts to the US federal workforce while acknowledging mistakes and promising swift corrections. The department has faced criticism over its handling of agency downsizing and its lack of transparency.
Elon Musk , the head of Donald Trump 's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has defended extensive cuts within the US government while acknowledging there have been mistakes and will be more. In an address to media on Tuesday local time while standing alongside the president in the Oval Office, Mr Musk joked that the scrutiny over his sprawling influence over federal agencies was like a 'daily proctology exam.
' He also claimed that DOGE's work was being shared on its website and X, the social media platform he owns. The DOGE website, however, has no information and the postings on X often lack many details — including which programs are being cut and where the organisation has access. US President Donald Trump signed a new executive order in the Oval Office to expand the powers of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. Mr Trump also told reporters during the public appearance that the department had uncovered 'shocking' evidence of wasteful spending during its ongoing downsizing of the US federal workforce.The inspector-general for the US Agency for International Development was fired a day after warning that it had become nearly impossible to monitor $US8.2 billion ($13 billion) in humanitarian funds after DOGE began dismantling the agency.'The people voted for major government reform, and that's what the people are going to get,' he said.He also acknowledged, in response to a question about false statements that the US was spending $US50 million ($79.4 million) on condoms for Gaza, that some of the claims he's made about government programs have been wrong. 'Some of the things that I say will be incorrect and should be corrected. So nobody can bat 1,000,' he said. Mr Musk defended the federal cost-cutting efforts of DOGE since Mr Trump's swearing-in, saying the US would go bankrupt if not for the measures.Mr Musk promised that he would act quickly to correct errors, and acknowledged that DOGE could be making errors as well. 'We are moving fast, so we will make mistakes, but we'll also fix the mistakes very quickly,' he said. During his address, Mr Musk also said that while there are 'good people' within the US federal bureaucracy, they needed to be accountable to the American people and the federal workforce had grown into an 'unelected' fourth branch of government that has 'more power than any elected representative.' President Trump then signed a new executive order that said a DOGE representative will need to approve almost all new hiring within the US government.Photo shows Elon Musk raises his hands to his sunglasses as Donald Trump, wearing a MAGA cap, stands behind him. US president Donald Trump fends off criticism of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, saying it will find 'hundreds of billions' of US dollars in waste and fraud. 'The agency shall not fill any vacancies for career appointments that the DOGE Team Lead assesses should not be filled, unless the Agency Head determines the positions should be filled,' the order said. In addition, the Office of Management and Budget will require that agencies 'hire no more than one employee for every four employees that depart.' There would be exceptions when it comes to immigration, law enforcement and public safety, according to the order. Agency leaders were also directed to plan for 'large-scale reductions in force', while government functions not required by statute would be prioritised for elimination. President Trump and Mr Musk are already pushing federal workers to resign in return for financial incentives, although their plan is currently on hold while a judge reviews its legality. Hundreds of people rallied outside the US Capitol building in Washington DC in support of federal workers, as criticism increases of Mr Musk and the DOGE workforce cuts.The deferred resignation program, commonly described as a buyout, would allow employees to quit and still get paid until September 30. Administration officials said more than 65,000 workers have already taken the offer. Hundreds of people gathered for a rally on Tuesday across the street from the US Capitol building in Washington DC in support of federal workers.During the public appearance, the tech billionaire also claimed that the US was on track to go 'bankrupt' if DOGE did not continue federal cost-cutting efforts. Mr Musk pointed to the country's budget deficit, which topped $US1.8 trillion ($2.86 trillion) in the last fiscal year, and took aim at high interest payments on the public deb
Elon Musk Donald Trump Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE) US Government Federal Workforce Budget Cuts Government Reform Public Spending
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