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US President Donald Trump's tech billionaire ally Elon Musk denied leading a "hostile takeover" of the American government during his surprise first appearance at the White House on Tuesday. Defending his cost-cutting plans, Mr Musk said the United States would go "bankrupt" without a budget slash.
The South African-born billionaire, who has been tapped by President Donald Trump to lead federal cost-cutting efforts under the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has issued a flurry of orders in recent week, aimed at slashing federal spending.
During his White House debut, the world's richest man took questions from reporters in the Oval Office standing next to President Donald Trump as he pointed to America's budget deficit, which topped $1.8 trillion in the last fiscal year, as he took aim at high-interest payments on the public debt.
Describing sweeping government cuts as "common sense" measures that are "not draconian or radical", Mr Musk said, "The people voted for major government reform and that's what the people are going to get...That's what democracy is all about."
🇺🇸 "The American bureaucracy is the fourth and unelected branch of government"
— Musk criticized the US federal structures during a meeting with Trump at the White House. pic.twitter.com/lP8YhKyKwL
— Lord Bebo (@MyLordBebo) February 12, 2025
"It's not optional" for Washington to reduce federal expenses, he told reporters. "It's essential. It's essential for America to remain solvent as a country."
The 53-year-old owner of Tesla, X and SpaceX said he fully expects to be scrutinised for his actions and said, "It's not like I think I can get away with something."
His remarks came as the Trump administration finds itself on a collision course with the US courts, as federal judges questioned the legality of White House cost-cutting measures. Mr Trump's sweeping plans, which have effectively shuttered some federal agencies and sent staff home, have sparked legal battles across the country.
Mr Musk, who himself was appointed by Mr Trump and not elected, described federal workers as an "unelected, fourth, unconstitutional branch of government" that he said has "more power than any elected representative".
Meanwhile, his team moved through federal agencies, freezing aid programs and pushing workforce reductions.
The DOGE chief was accompanied by his young son, named X Æ A-Xii - or X for short, who sat on his shoulders for part of the news conference at the Oval Office.
DOGE Powers
Mr Trump has signed an executive order outlining the scope of DOGE including details of a federal workforce reduction plan that will restrict agencies to hire only one employee for every four that depart. The order also requires the head of each agency to consult with DOGE when deciding which vacancies to fill.
The DOGE reform team has triggered alarm among critics as well by gaining access through the US Treasury to sensitive data, with opponents including senior Democrats criticising the actions saying they would have significant repercussions both in the US and internationally.
"An unelected shadow government is conducting a hostile takeover of the federal government," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said recently. He said Democrats would work to block DOGE's efforts by introducing specific language into spending bills.
But with Republicans holding a majority in both chambers of Congress, Mr Trump's agenda has faced more pressing hurdles in the courtroom. Multiple lawsuits seek to halt what opponents characterize as an illegal power grab.