President Donald Trump has appointed SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk to assess unnecessary spending at the Department of Education and Department of Defense, led by Government Efficiency (DOGE) Musk.
Doge is tasked with eliminating government spending, waste, and streamlined efficiency and operations, and is expected to affect the White House policies on budget issues.
“I told him to check his education and check the pentagon… and sadly, you'll find something pretty bad, but I'm proportionately, you're just us I saw what I'd see,” Trump told reporters during a press conference about his plans for Friday, when the Japanese prime minister hosted Prime Minister Isbauhauba.
USAID staff were stunned and angry at the closure of Trump administrators' $400 billion agency
Elon Musk, depicted here, leads government efficiency. (Anna Money Maker/Getty Images)
On Monday, Trump and Doge began efforts to close the U.S. International Development Agency, a group that works to provide assistance to poor countries and development assistance.
The group has been under scrutiny from Doge, and Musk said on Sunday it was a “process of closing USAID” and was “closing” due to corrupt spending, saying Trump agreed.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, now acting director of independent agencies, said Monday that USAID is not “unfunctioning” and that the organization is not a “global charity.”
“That needs to be consistent with the national interests of the US,” Rubio said. “They are taxpayer dollars, not charities around the world. People are asking simple questions. What are they doing with money?
“We're spending taxpayer money,” he said. “We assure taxpayers that it promotes our national interests.”
What is USAID and why is it in the crosshairs of cards?
Secretary of State Marco Rubio shows that USAID is not “functioning” and that the organization is not a “global charity.” (Mark Sieferbein/AP)
Doge is tasked with cutting $2 trillion from the federal government's budget through efforts to significantly reduce spending, government programs and federal workforce.
Musk has faced some backlash due to previous interference in government issues. Senate Democrats, for example, accused Doge of making “hostile takeovers” after reports emerged that Musk had access to the Finance Bureau's central payment system.
The Ministry of Education and the Department of Defense have some of the largest budgets for government agencies. According to government documents, in 2024, the Department of Education received a $79.1 billion budget, while the Department of Defense received a $841.4 billion budget.
Meanwhile, Trump has shown he is trying to completely remove the Department of Education through an executive order.
Still, Congress must pass laws under Article II of the Constitution to completely dissolve the institution.
Musk's Doge aims to be a “Viper's Nest” federal agency with a global footprint
President Donald Trump tapped Linda McMahon, a former manager of small business management, to lead the Department of Education. (Mike Seger/Reuters)
Trump told reporters Tuesday that he tapped Linda McMahon, former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) to lead the Department of Education and hopes to ultimately lose her job.
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“What I want to do is have the state run the school,” Trump said. “I strongly believe in school choices, but on top of that, I want the state to run the school and I want Linda to put myself out of work.”
Stephen Sorace and Emma Colton of Fox News contributed to this report.
