President Donald Trump said Tuesday he was signing an executive order to give tech billionaire Elon Musk more power over the federal workforce
Trump endorsed DOGE's work and declined to commit to seek congressional approval for the massive overhaul of federal agencies that he and Musk are pushing.With Musk standing to his right in the Oval Office, Trump praised the work of his office, known as the Department of Government Efficiency Service . And Trump said he wanted Musk to now do more, even as DOGE faces multiple lawsuits from labor unions and Democratic state attorneys general over whether it is acting within the law.
Trump and Musk took questions from reporters in a freewheeling exchange for more than half an hour, but the two spoke mostly in generalities and did not give details about the alleged fraud they said DOGE had found.For weeks, Musk has railed against what he says is waste, fraud or abuse that DOGE has identified, although many of the examples he has posted about on social media lack specifics.
Musk also said he had worked with Secretary of State Marco Rubio to “turn on funding” for Ebola and HIV prevention, making them exceptions to his attempt at an overall spending freeze. He said pausing that funding had been a “mistake.”The two said little to calm concerns that they were violating the Constitution, including by trying to shutter federal agencies without the approval of Congress and refusing to spend money that Congress had appropriated.
Trump brushed aside a reporter’s question about whether he would eventually need congressional approval to cut spending. There are about 2.4 million federal employees, excluding postal workers, according to the Pew Research Center. The number has grown by a little over 1% per year since 2000, but as a share of all civilian employment it has changed little, Pew said
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Silicon Valley Congressman Khanna accuses Elon Musk of violating Constitution, gets insulted by MuskLawsuits appear to be the only weapon for opponents of Musk’s activities in government.
Read more »
Elon Musk cements his power in Washington on Trump’s first dayMusk’s first day in Trump’s Washington was not without controversy after he made a gesture observers said resembled a Nazi salute.
Read more »
Saturday Night Live Mocks Trump's Return to Power and Elon Musk's Controversial SaluteSaturday Night Live's cold open parodied Donald Trump's return to the White House, with cast member Cecily Strong portraying a triumphant Trump who declared himself in his 'king era.' The sketch also satirized Elon Musk's recent speech at a post-inauguration rally, where he was criticized for appearing to give the Nazi salute.
Read more »
Elon Musk's astonishing, Trump-backed government power grabs, explainedThe highest-ranking career official at the Treasury Department announced his retirement Friday after decades of service, following a dispute with surrogates for Elon Musk over the federal payment system through which trillions of dollars are distributed every year.
Read more »
Ocasio-Cortez: Trump Has 'Handed Over Power' to Elon MuskRep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez alleges that President Trump has ceded authority to Elon Musk, citing Musk's influence on FAA administrator dismissal and the appointment of young individuals to infiltrate government systems.
Read more »
Ocasio-Cortez Alleges Trump Has 'Handed Over Power' to Elon MuskRep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez accuses Elon Musk of wielding undue influence over the Trump administration, citing Musk's pressure on FAA dismissal and appointment of young individuals to government positions with alleged intentions of disrupting federal programs and accessing classified information.
Read more »