U.S. President Donald Trump announced his intention to reduce billions in Pentagon spending. He made this statement on Sunday, February 9, according to the Financial Times.
Trump expressed support for Elon Musk’s efforts to reduce costs through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). According to Trump, Musk has been “amazing” and has “helped a lot” in finding ways to cut spending in the federal government. He also mentioned that the Department of Defense, with a budget of approximately $800 billion, will be the next focus for Musk.
Let’s take a look at the military. We will find billions, hundreds of billions of dollars in fraud and abuse. People chose me for this, Trump said.
Reuters reminds that political leaders have long criticized the Pentagon for wastefulness and inefficiency. However, Democrats and federal employee unions believe that DOGE lacks the experience to restructure the Pentagon and fear such efforts could expose classified programs.
On February 4, Musk officially began working as a special government employee under Trump’s direction. On February 3, Trump confirmed that Musk had gained access to the critical payment system of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, which handles federal government transactions. On the same day, federal unions and other organizations filed a lawsuit against the Treasury Department due to this access. Trump also assured that Musk would act in full coordination with his administration.
