President Trump has expressed confidence in Elon Musk's team of young, "very smart" software engineers, tasking them with reviewing federal spending, particularly in the defense department. Speaking at a White House press conference alongside the Prime Minister of Japan, Trump revealed that Musk's team will assess the proposed $850 billion budget for 2025. The president also instructed Musk to investigate potential inefficiencies in education and the Pentagon.
Trump’s endorsement of Musk's team comes amid a flurry of scrutiny from Congress. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden have formally requested an investigation into the level of access granted to Musk's team, raising concerns about national security and privacy issues. They highlighted the ease with which Musk's team reportedly accessed sensitive information, including social security numbers and bank account details.
"They know what they’re doing. They’ll ask questions, and they’ll see immediately as somebody gets tongue-tied that they’re either crooked or don’t know what they’re doing. We have very smart people going." – Trump
The president’s comments shed light on his trust in Musk’s capabilities, emphasizing a commitment to rooting out waste in the federal government. However, Trump's assertion that Doge, Musk's team, can access Americans' private information "very easily" has intensified calls for a Treasury Department investigation.
"They’re doing it at my insistence. It would be a lot easier not to do it, but we have to take some of these things apart to find the corruption and we’ve found tremendous corruption." – Trump
In a controversial move, Trump suggested that Doge should rehire Marko Elez, a 25-year-old former staff member who resigned after being linked to a racially offensive social media account. The president aligned with the vice-president's opinion that Elez should return to his position.
"He will be brought back. To err is human, to forgive divine." – Elon Musk
While Musk's team has not yet presented evidence of corruption at USAid or other federal agencies, Trump remains optimistic about their mission. He firmly believes that uncovering inefficiencies and potential corruption will strengthen national security and bolster social security systems.
"Social security will not be touched. It will only be strengthened … we have illegal immigrants on social security and we’re going to find out who they are and take them off." – Trump
The access given to Musk's team has raised significant concerns among Democrats in Congress, who argue that such access could threaten both economic stability and national security. They have requested an investigation to ensure compliance with laws protecting Americans' privacy and tax data.
"Given the threats to the economy and national security, and the potential violation of laws protecting Americans’ privacy and tax data posed by Mr Musk and his team’s reported access to critical federal payment systems … we request that you use your authorities to investigate this matter further." – Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden