Elon Musk takes questions from reporters as President Trump looks on in the Oval Office of the White House on Tuesday.
Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images/AFP
President Trump and Elon Musk appeared together from the Oval Office on Tuesday, where they defended their efforts to enact sweeping changes to the federal government and limit spending.
Their joint appearance came as Trump signed an executive order providing new guidance for federal agencies on the implementation of Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative, a push to cut what Musk and Trump characterize as excessive government spending.
Speaking to reporters with Musk at his side, Trump said DOGE has already resulted in the discovery of “billions and billions of dollars in waste, fraud and abuse,” adding that the final tally could eventually reach as high as “close to a trillion dollars.” But the president and Musk offered few specifics on how they were arriving at those estimates.
Tuesday’s order provides new details on how government agencies will work with DOGE to reduce the size of the federal workforce, and calls on the heads of federal agencies to “promptly undertake preparations to initiate large-scale reductions in force.” The order did not specify a range of how many workers may be affected and lose jobs.
The order also sets out new guidelines around hiring. It says each agency should hire no more than one employee for every four employees that depart. Additionally, the order calls on agency heads to consult with a “DOGE Team Lead” around hiring approvals.
The changes do not apply to military personnel, according to the order, and allow exemptions for positions related to “national security, homeland security, or public safety responsibilities.”
The order follows a slew of moves by the Trump administration in line with Musk’s work. In the three weeks since Trump was sworn in, Musk has moved to cut billions in federal spending and effectively shut down the work of government institutions like the U.S. Agency for International Development. The moves have prompted a cascade of legal challenges and sparked uncertainty among federal workers as they await additional actions by the DOGE effort.
Court orders, the role of Congress and transparency
Trump and Musk addressed a range of criticism about DOGE, from whether its work required authorization from Congress, to if the administration would comply with court orders against the initiative.
Federal courts have already blocked DOGE staff from accessing sensitive Department of Treasury materials, and in a separate ruling on Monday, a federal judge in Rhode Island said the administration was not in full compliance with an order blocking its effort to suspend payments for grants and other federal programs.
When asked about the court challenges against DOGE actions, Trump acknowledged he would comply with the rulings made by federal judges.
“I always abide by the courts. Always abide by them, and we’ll appeal,” he said.
Musk spoke for a majority of the roughly 30-minute appearance, donning a trench coat and a black “Make America Great Again” hat. Standing just feet away from the president, who sat behind the Resolute Desk, Musk was asked to respond to critics who argue that he is exercising too much power over the government.
“The people voted for major government reform, and that’s what people are going to get,” he said. “They’re going to get what they voted for.”
Musk sought to address concerns about transparency and the potential for conflicts of interest at DOGE, given his numerous business dealings with the federal government.
He said that when it comes to questions about conflicts of interest, “you have to look at the individual contract,” adding, “I’m not the one, you know, filing the contract. It’s people at SpaceX or someone who will be putting the contract.”
DOGE has also come under criticism from Democratic lawmakers on everything from what kinds of information it is allowed to access, to Musk’s own employment status with the federal government. Musk said DOGE was “trying to be as transparent as possible” and claimed that all DOGE actions are posted online.
