President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday night, broadening the remit of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk, allowing the department to work with government agencies to cut staff and limit hiring.
This move is part of an effort to reduce government waste, with Musk pledging to find $1 trillion in savings through his efforts to identify fraud and waste in the government.
Officially the US DOGE Services(USDS), the White House's Musk-led agency was tasked by Trump to identify and reduce government waste, and modernize and streamline the technology infrastructure that powers the US government bureaucracy.
Tuesday's executive order instructs DOGE and federal agencies to work together to "significantly" shrink the size of the federal government and limit hiring new employees, according to a White House fact sheet on the order. Specifically, agencies must not hire more than one employee for every four that leave their federal post.
Agencies are also instructed to "undertake plans for large-scale reductions in force" and evaluate ways to eliminate or combine agency functions that aren't statutorily required. The order will leave few areas of the federal government unscathed, with exceptions for positions affiliated with law enforcement, national security, and immigration enforcement.
Musk has been leading an investigation into USAID's spending practices and has defended his department's efforts to cut spending at the agency which critics argue is a corrupt money-laundering cutout for leftwing globalist groups around the world.
Tuesday's order builds on another directive Trump signed after his inauguration implementing a federal hiring freeze, as well as an initiative from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management offering more than 2 million federal civilian employees buyouts if they leave their jobs or return to work in person.
Following the signing in the Oval Office, Musk and Trump responded to critics who say he is an unelected official who has been granted unprecedented authority by the president to dismantle parts of the U.S. government.
Musk and Trump defended the efforts of DOGE, with Musk stating that the team is "trying to be as transparent as possible" and that all of their actions are posted online.
The CEO of SpaceX and Tesla told reporters that the American people voted for "major" government reform and that the Trump administration would deliver.
Trump voiced similar sentiments about providing voters what they wanted – to tackle "all of this "horrible stuff going on" – and told reporters that he hoped the court system would cooperate.
"I hope that the court system is going to allow us to do what we have to do," Trump said, who also said he would always abide by a court’s ruling but will be prepared to appeal.
Several federal far-left activist judges have temporarily blocked Trump's plan from advancing amid challenges from leftwing lobby groups and state attorneys general. However legal experts agree that the Trump administration will ultimately prevail in higher courts.
Musk revealed that the DOGE team has found numerous instances of fraud and waste within the government, including cases where federal employees have accrued tens of millions of dollars in net worth despite having relatively low salaries.
Additionally, Musk mentioned that some individuals, including a dead 150-year-old, are still receiving social security benefits, highlighting the need for reform in the system.
Musk also mentioned that many federal employees are not retiring due to the outdated system, which was established in the 1950s.
"Federal employee retirements are processed using paper, by hand, in an old limestone mine in Pennsylvania. 700+ mine workers operate 230 feet underground to process ~10,000 applications per month, which are stored in manila envelopes and cardboard boxes. The retirement process takes multiple months." DOGE wrote on X Tuesday night.
Musk has pledged to find $1 trillion in savings through his efforts at DOGE to identify fraud and waste in the government.
The Tesla CEO's son Lil X stole the show in the Oval Office as he accompanied his father and President Donald Trump during Tuesday's press conference.
The 4-year-old's antics, including picking his nose and climbing onto Musk's shoulders, drew laughter from the reporters and at times overshadowed the discussion about DOGE's goals. Musk has 12 children with 3 women including Lil X mother and singer Grimes.
