US President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, in their first joint Fox News interview, spoke about the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) role, with the latter announcing he was a co-chair. His main role is to offer "technical support" to the Republican leader, said Musk.
Throughout the interview, Musk expounded on the duties of the DOGE team, mentioning specifically that one of its most important functions is to effectively and efficiently implement presidential executive orders.
With "tech support" printed on his T-shirt, the Tesla CEO said that he was present there to "provide the president with technology support".
Elon Musk, in his joint interview with President Donald Trump on Fox News, underscored that as the people's elected representative, the president's actions are the "will of the people." He further added that if the bureaucracy gets in the way of the president's attempt to implement the will of the people, it would be that the country is being run by a bureaucracy and not a democracy.
Musk's remarks are made against a backdrop of increasing scrutiny of his involvement in the Trump administration. The White House last month explained that Musk does not have a formal position or authority at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), with a formal filing declaring that he is not an employee of the government and does not have formal authority to make decisions on behalf of the government.
In spite of this, Musk, a staunch Trump ally, has been asked to co-chair the DOGE with the intention of reducing the federal budget, including making substantial layoffs.
Tackling objections to his power as an unelected advisor, Musk issued a message to those concerned about his position, which was that they should be worried instead about the high number of unelected federal workers in the US government's civilian workforce.
Elon Musk, co-chair of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), made bold plans to cut the US deficit, announcing that he and his team are working to eliminate "a trillion dollars out of the deficit." President Donald Trump backed Musk's bold claim, saying that he has faith in Musk's ability to make it happen and that Musk "is going to find a trillion dollars" and that the actual problem is the waste and abuse in government spending.
With speculations regarding his position in the Trump administration and the political sphere, Musk assured the media that he has never requested any favors from President Trump. He noted that he would recuse himself from any political decision that may involve his own businesses, particularly government contracts.
The White House, in a brief filed by Joshua Fisher, Director of the Office of Administration, explained Musk's role, stating him to be a "non-career Special Government Employee" with the title of "Senior Advisor to the President."
This was one of the filings in a lawsuit filed against Musk by 14 states, including New Mexico. Musk has been making headlines quite often over the last few days. His DOGE crew has been aiming at various federal agencies, such as USAID and the Social Security Administration, as part of their overall efficiency revamp.
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