President Donald Trump has praised billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk and his team at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for ensuring that federal agencies follow the administration’s executive orders.
In a joint interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Tuesday night, Trump and Musk discussed their working relationship and the impact DOGE has had in reshaping government operations.
“I respect him. I always respected him. I never knew that he was right on certain things,” Trump said, highlighting Musk’s contributions, including his Starlink internet system, which recently provided crucial support to victims of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina.
Musk’s Team Enforcing Trump’s Orders
Trump expressed frustration that, in previous administrations, executive orders were often ignored by federal agencies. Now, with Musk’s involvement, Trump says his directives are being enforced.
“You write a beautiful [executive order] and you sign it and you assume it’s going to be done, but it’s not,” Trump explained. “What [Musk] does is he takes it, and with his hundred geniuses—he’s got some very brilliant young people working for him that dress much worse than him—he gets it done; he’s a leader.”
DOGE has already made headlines by uncovering excessive federal spending. Musk cited an investigation into the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which revealed that the agency had spent approximately $59 million on housing illegal immigrants in hotels—an expenditure that contradicted Trump’s strict immigration policies. The Department of Homeland Security responded swiftly, firing four FEMA officials and reclaiming the funds. New York City has since announced plans to sue the administration over the funding cuts.
Budget Cuts and Bureaucratic Reform
Trump has given DOGE the authority to identify and eliminate wasteful government spending. So far, the agency has focused on the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which the administration criticizes for funding left-wing initiatives abroad. DOGE has also begun reviewing budgets at the Treasury Department and other agencies to reduce unnecessary expenses.
One of DOGE’s biggest upcoming targets is the Department of Defense, which has failed seven consecutive financial audits. Trump has emphasized the need to streamline the Pentagon’s operations, cutting inefficiencies while maintaining national security.
A group of Democratic-led states attempted to block DOGE from making staffing cuts and accessing federal data, but a federal judge in D.C., Tanya Chutkan, ruled against them, allowing the agency to continue its work.
Trump and Musk’s Strong Working Relationship
Trump, who has long admired Musk’s business acumen, joked about his decision to put the billionaire in charge of DOGE.
“You know, I wanted to find somebody smarter than him. I searched all over. I just couldn’t do it,” Trump said with a smile, patting Musk’s arm. “So we settled on this guy.”
