Elon Musk on Tuesday defended the work of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) alongside President Trump, who invited Musk to speak and sat at the resolute desk as the tech mogul gave a lengthy address.
“The people voted for major government reform and that’s what the people are going to get,” Musk said in response to pushback his work at DOGE has received. “That’s what democracy is all about.”
Musk also said he wants to add “common sense controls” to government, arguing that his ideas are not “draconian.” And, when asked about personal conflicts of interest with his work overhauling the government, Musk replied, “transparency is what builds trust.”
In the first few weeks of Trump’s presidency, Musk has led an effort to dismantle federal agencies, buy out hundreds of thousands of federal workers from their jobs and take over payment systems within the Treasury Department and other agencies.
The work has sparked numerous lawsuits and pushback from Democratic lawmakers, state office holders and unions representing federal works.
Tuesday’s striking moment at the Oval Office featured the leader of the free world inviting the richest man in the world to give a defense of his goals in front of press brought in for the occasion. One of Musk’s young children pulled at this coat at times as the billionaire, wearing a black “Make America Great Again” baseball cap, argued the federal bureaucracy can’t have more power than any elected representative.
The president said on Tuesday that he thought it was “crazy” that DOGE has been able to find so much fraud and waste in the federal government, arguing that he had no idea they would “find this much.”
A federal judge issued a Saturday ruling that prevents DOGE from accessing the Treasury Department’s payment systems by blocking political appointees and special government employees, like Musk and DOGE personnel.
On Tuesday, the court clarified the ruling, saying that it does not extend to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Meanwhile, Trump and his allies have denounced the original sweeping ruling.
Trump, in the Oval, said the judge has “certain leanings” and that he hopes the courts would allow him to do what he was elected to do.
“It seems hard to believe that judges want to stop us,” Trump said. “It seems hard to believe that a judge could say we don’t want you to do that. Then we have to look at the judges because I think it’s a very serious violation.”
DOGE has targeted various parts of the federal government, including the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and is now looking to similarly gut the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).
