Former US President Donald Trump shared insights into his decision to appoint Tesla CEO Elon Musk to lead the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a task force focused on reducing government spending.
Speaking alongside Musk, Trump told Fox News that they had "searched for someone smarter" to take on the role but ultimately chose Musk for the job.
Trump explained his reasoning for bringing in the billionaire entrepreneur, stating, "He’s good... I wanted to find someone smarter than him. I looked everywhere, but I couldn’t find anyone smarter. So, for the country's sake, we had to go with this guy." Musk, in response, smiled and modestly replied, "Well, thanks for having me."
This interview marked the first time Trump and Musk appeared together on a major TV network since Trump's return to the White House the previous month.
Under Musk's leadership, DOGE has focused on eliminating unnecessary spending within federal agencies, aligning with Trump's larger effort to restructure government operations. This initiative has already led to significant job cuts across federal agencies.
Despite these efforts, several Democratic-led states and liberal advocacy groups have filed lawsuits to prevent DOGE from gaining access to sensitive government systems.
During the interview, Trump also praised the DOGE team’s efforts but joked about their attire, commenting that Musk’s team dressed even more casually than the Tesla CEO himself. "What [Musk] does is take the executive order and, with his hundred geniuses, he has brilliant young people working for him who dress worse than him—just in t-shirts," Trump said with a laugh.
Throughout the conversation, Trump continued to compliment Musk, reflecting on their relationship, which had only begun to develop in the past year. "I wanted great people, and he’s a great person. He’s amazing. He’s also a caring person, a good person who wants the country to succeed," Trump remarked.
The President also clarified that Musk would recuse himself from any DOGE-related matters where a potential conflict of interest could arise, saying, "If there’s a conflict, he won’t be involved. I wouldn’t want that, and neither would he."
Musk, for his part, described Trump’s 2024 election bid as "an opportunity to fix the system," adding, “The President cared. The President was competent. And when you bring in more competence and caring, it leads to a better deal for the American people.”
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