By Touch Of Light - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,
US President Donald Trump has expressed his anticipation that his associate Elon Musk will uncover significant instances of fraud and misuse within the Pentagon, following Musk’s appointment to oversee an audit aimed at reducing the size of the federal workforce.
“We are going to uncover billions, even hundreds of millions of dollars in fraud and abuse,” Trump stated regarding the largest federal department during an interview with Fox News, a segment of which was broadcast on Sunday morning. “And, you know, the people elected me on that.”
The Pentagon’s budget is nearing $1 trillion annually. In December, former President Joe Biden enacted legislation authorizing $895 billion for defense expenditures for the fiscal year concluding on September 30.
Elon Musk, a prominent billionaire and the head of SpaceX and Tesla, has been designated by the White House to lead the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). In this role, he will have access to sensitive information within the computer systems of various government agencies to accomplish the assigned objectives.
Critics from across the political spectrum have long pointed out the issues of waste and inefficiency at the Pentagon. However, there are concerns that these initiatives may jeopardize classified information and dismantle entire agencies without the necessary congressional consent.
Musk’s enterprises have secured significant contracts with the Pentagon, leading to considerable concerns regarding potential conflicts of interest. On Saturday, a U.S. judge issued an emergency order preventing DOGE from accessing Treasury Department payment systems that house sensitive information about American citizens.
In spite of these concerns, Trump appeared to reinforce his stance, indicating that he would soon request Musk to investigate the Department of Education, possibly within the next 24 hours, before turning his attention to military matters.
National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, in a separate interview on Sunday, pointed out that the shipbuilding processes at the Pentagon might warrant particular scrutiny.
“Everything there seems to cost too much, take too long, and deliver too little to the soldiers… We need business leaders to step in and fundamentally reform the Pentagon’s acquisition process,” Waltz stated during the interview.
During his initial three weeks in office, Trump has enacted a series of executive orders focused on reducing federal expenditures, which includes the suspension of funding to the US Agency for International Development (USAID). However, no substantial evidence of widespread fraud has been provided.
On Saturday, the Trump administration directed the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to cease nearly all of its operations, effectively dismantling an agency established to safeguard consumers in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis and the subprime mortgage lending scandal.
Democrats have criticized Trump’s initiatives. Senator Chris Murphy expressed concerns on Sunday about an “assault on the Constitution,” asserting that Trump is facilitating a “billionaire takeover of government.” Murphy stated to ABC News, “The president seeks to control how and where funds are allocated, allowing him to reward his political allies and penalize his adversaries. This represents a fundamental undermining of democracy.”
