By Tarini Parti and Alex Leary
WASHINGTON—Elon Musk defended his cost-cutting plans as a common-sense campaign to reel in out-of-control government spending, amid opposition from Democrats and legal challenges that have stalled some of his efforts.
Appearing alongside President Trump in the Oval Office on Tuesday, the billionaire offered a lengthy explanation of his views on the federal government, and made the case for his Department of Government Efficiency.
Musk, wearing a black “Make America Great Again” hat, described federal workers as an “unelected, fourth, unconstitutional branch of government” that he said has “more power than any elected representative.”
“It does not match the will of people. So it’s just something we’ve got to fix, and they’ve also got to address the deficit,” he said.
Musk’s remarks came as Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday giving DOGE more authority to reduce the size of the federal workforce. The order directs agencies to restrict hiring to only essential positions, with some exceptions.
“It’s not optional for us to reduce the federal expenses,” Musk said. “It’s essential. It’s essential for America to remain solvent as a country.”
Musk compared the scrutiny he is facing to a “daily proctology exam.” He said the public can make its own judgments about his potential conflicts of interest. Trump added that if the White House thought there was a lack of transparency or a conflict for Musk, then “we would not let him do that segment or look in that area.”
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