FILE – President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with the House GOP conference, Nov. 13, 2024, in Washington. (Allison Robbert/Pool via AP, File)
In a high-profile Super Bowl interview with Fox News’ Brett Baier on Sunday, former U.S. President Donald Trump announced that billionaire Elon Musk will spearhead an audit of the Pentagon, with expectations of uncovering billions of dollars in fraud and waste.
Musk, whom the White House has designated as a special government employee, leads the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Under Trump’s directive, he has been tasked with streamlining the federal workforce and gaining access to confidential data across various agencies.
“I’m going to tell him [Musk] very soon, maybe in 24 hours, to go check the Department of Education,” Trump said. “Then I’m going to say, ‘Go to the military. Let’s check the military.’ We are going to find billions—hundreds of millions—of dollars in fraud and abuse.”
The Pentagon, the largest federal department, operates on an annual budget nearing $1 trillion. In December, then-President Joe Biden signed a bill authorizing $895 billion in defense spending for the fiscal year ending September 30.
Musk’s involvement in government oversight marks an unprecedented move, raising questions about the scope of his authority and the potential impact of his findings on federal operations.
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