“Elon Musk Faces Tough Questions on DOGE & Conflicts in Oval Office Shake-Up!”
Elon Musk joined former President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Tuesday, addressing reporters for the first time amid his sweeping cost-cutting initiatives across the federal government.
Defending the newly established Department of Government Efficiency, Musk—wearing a black coat and a “Make America Great Again” hat—stood alongside Trump as he spoke about the team’s work. The Tesla billionaire, accompanied by his young son “X,” warned about the dangers of unchecked bureaucracy. “If there’s not a good feedback loop between the people and the government, and if bureaucracy is in charge, then what meaning does democracy actually have?” he said, despite being an unelected official himself.
Musk has been spearheading Trump’s mandate to slash or dismantle federal agencies, though questions remain about his accountability. The White House labels him a “special government employee,” but it’s unclear who, beyond Trump, oversees his actions.
ABC News Senior Political Correspondent Rachel Scott pressed Musk on his accountability and whether he is essentially “policing” himself. Musk insisted that DOGE’s actions are “maximally transparent,” though much of the information shared online has been vague, lacking specifics about the alleged corruption and fraud he cites to justify his efforts.
Scott also questioned Musk on potential conflicts of interest, given that his companies have received billions in government contracts. Musk dismissed concerns, stating, “All of our actions are fully public. If there’s a conflict, people won’t hesitate to call it out.”
On Tuesday, former President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to coordinate with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to “shrink the size of the federal workforce and limit hiring to essential positions,” according to a White House fact sheet.
Elon Musk, leading the DOGE initiative, described the effort as “rightsizing” the government. He claimed they were investigating federal employees with high net worths despite modest salaries, suggesting—without evidence—that they might be “getting wealthier at taxpayer expense.”
“There need to be a lot of people working for the federal government, but not as many as currently,” Musk said, insisting that DOGE’s aggressive cost-cutting was not “draconian or radical” but necessary for “America to remain solvent.” He further alleged that a preliminary review of Social Security records uncovered beneficiaries who were “150 years old” or had “no identifying information.”
However, DOGE has already faced legal pushback. A federal judge temporarily blocked Musk and his team from accessing Treasury Department materials, including Social Security numbers and bank account details of millions of Americans.
The administration and key Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, have criticized the courts for intervening. Johnson urged judges to “step back” and let DOGE proceed. Trump also lashed out at the judiciary, accusing them of protecting government waste without providing specifics.
“And now an activist judge wants to stop us. Why?” Trump said. “I campaigned on this.”
At one point, he suggested scrutinizing the judiciary itself, calling it a “very serious violation” if courts blocked his policies. His administration’s sharp rhetoric, including Vice President JD Vance’s claim that judges “aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power,” has raised concerns among legal experts about potential efforts to bypass court orders.
Pressed by ABC’s Rachel Scott on whether he would comply with judicial rulings, Trump insisted, “Well, I always abide by the courts, and then I’ll have to appeal it,” though he criticized the slow appeals process.
He then framed his position in simple terms: “If you show a judge a corrupt situation—should we send this check to a fraudulent recipient or return it to the taxpayer? I would hope the judge says, ‘Give it back to the taxpayer.’”
ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart and Will Steakin contributed to this report.