Trump directs Musk's DOGE team to review Pentagon spending
What's the story
Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) will be coming for the Pentagon and the Department of Education next, President Donald Trump said on Friday. Speaking at a White House press conference with Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Trump said, "He will be looking at education pretty quickly and he will be looking at military too." He suggested that the team has accessed Americans's private information "very easily" and is now eyeing the Pentagon for cuts.
Presidential support
Trump expresses pride in Musk's DOGE team
Trump also expressed pride in Musk's team, calling them "very smart" software engineers. He said, "They're doing it at my insistence... we have to take some of these things apart to find the corruption and we've found tremendous corruption." However, DOGE has yet to provide evidence of corruption at USAID or other agencies it has targeted.
Budget review
Trump confirms review of defense department spending
The president confirmed he asked Musk to review spending in the defense department, which has a proposed budget of $850 billion for 2025. However, he assured social security would remain untouched and strengthened. This comes as Democrats in Congress express concern about DOGE's access to government payment systems, citing potential threats to national security and privacy violations.
Security concerns
Democrats request investigation into DOGE's access to payment systems
Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden have called for an investigation into possible national security threats and privacy violations posed by DOGE's access to federal payment systems. They wrote to inspectors general asking them to look into the matter. This comes after Trump hinted that he has given Musk free rein, even appearing unconcerned about details like why DOGE needs access to treasury payment systems including Americans's social security numbers, home addresses, and bank accounts.
Staff controversy
Trump addresses resignation and rehiring of DOGE staff member
Further, Trump spoke about Marko Elez's resignation from DOGE after being associated with a racist social media account. Vice-President JD Vance backed Elez's return, accusing journalists of his resignation. Trump said he didn't know the details but agreed with Vance's opinion. Musk subsequently took to social media to announce Elez's rehire, saying, "To err is human, to forgive divine."