Trump Supports Musk: "Cooperate with DOGE Cost Reduction Plan"

President Donald Trump of the United States has reiterated his call for cooperation with the government efficiency department, DOGE, which he established. This move appears to bolster Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, who heads DOGE. Over the past week, Musk has faced significant backlash as he undertook a sweeping restructuring of federal agencies, including the closure of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). On the 11th (local time), Musk visited the White House to address allegations of overreach and illegality.

○Criticism of Bureaucracy in Front of Trump

On this day, Musk visited the Oval Office at the White House to attend the signing ceremony of an executive order by President Trump. He appeared wearing a black MAGA hat and carrying his son on his shoulders, proving his influence. He then participated in a 30-minute Q&A session with the president and journalists.

Musk stated, "DOGE employees are investigating various government agencies, reviewing computer systems and employee data, and reducing the size of the government through office closures and employee furloughs." He emphasized that "all actions of DOGE are being transparently disclosed," responding to criticisms of overreach and illegality against DOGE.

Emphasizing the necessity of organizational restructuring, Musk pointed out, "In many respects, bureaucrats have more power than elected representatives of the people." He added, "If there is no interaction between the government and the people, and bureaucrats govern, we are not living in a democracy but in a bureaucratic society. The people elect the president and Congress to decide what happens, which is contrary to unelected bureaucracy."

He also warned that if the organization is not restructured, the government could go bankrupt due to fiscal deficits. He stressed, "It is surprising that interest payments on national debt exceed the Department of Defense budget," and that "reducing federal government spending is not a choice but a necessity."

○Trump Defends Musk

President Trump also sided with Musk in his criticism of the civil service. Trump stated, "If there was a lack of transparency or a conflict of interest, we would not have allowed him to do the job," defending Musk. Although there were speculations of a rift between Musk and Trump after Time magazine featured Musk on its cover on the 24th, Trump expressed his trust in Musk.

According to Bloomberg, President Trump issued an executive order instructing the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to submit a plan to reduce the size of the federal workforce in cooperation with DOGE. The plan reportedly includes hiring only one employee for every four that leave each government agency. However, positions related to public safety, immigration enforcement, and law enforcement are exempt. Bloomberg noted, "It is unclear whether DOGE, a department within the White House, has the authority to carry out large-scale layoffs."

There are ongoing criticisms that Musk's companies are benefiting under the Trump administration. The New York Times (NYT) reported, "Although President Trump has been in office for less than a month, Musk's vast business empire is already in a much more advantageous position to benefit."

Among the bureaucrats ousted in the process of reducing the size of the government were individuals who were investigating, enforcing laws, or litigating against Musk's companies. According to the NYT, at least 11 federal agencies conducting more than 32 investigations into Musk's six companies, including SpaceX and Tesla, are affected by the Trump administration's government restructuring.

Reporter Han Gyeongje