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President Donald Trump has re-emphasized his directive to cooperate with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) that he established. This appears to be another show of support for Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who heads DOGE. CEO Musk, who faced numerous oppositions after initiating federal agency restructuring including the closure of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) over the past week, visited the White House Oval Office on the 11th (local time) to address controversies over exceeding authority and legal violations.

○Criticizing Bureaucracy Before Trump

On this day, CEO Musk attended President Trump's executive order signing ceremony at the White House Oval Office. He proved his 'influence' by appearing with his son on his shoulders while wearing a black MAGA hat. He then spent about 30 minutes taking questions from reporters alongside the President.

CEO Musk stated, "DOGE staff are investigating various government agencies, reviewing computer systems and employee data, and reducing government size through methods such as office closures and employee furloughs." He emphasized that "all of DOGE's actions are being transparently disclosed." This was in response to criticism about DOGE exceeding its authority and violating laws.

Emphasizing the legitimacy of organizational reform, CEO Musk pointed out that "in many aspects, bureaucrats have more power than elected representatives of the people." He said, "If there is no interaction between the government and people, and bureaucrats rule, we're not living in a democracy but in a bureaucracy," adding that "people elect the president and Congress to decide what happens, which is opposed to unelected bureaucracy."

He also warned that without organizational reform, the government could go bankrupt due to fiscal deficit. He emphasized that "it's surprising that interest payments on national debt exceed the Defense Department budget" and that "reducing federal government spending is not a choice but a necessity."

○Trump Defends Musk

President Trump aligned with Musk's criticism of the civil service. Trump defended CEO Musk, saying "if there was a lack of transparency or conflict of interest, we wouldn't have let him do the job." While Time magazine's cover story on the 24th suggested possible friction between Musk and Trump, the President showed his trust in Musk today.

According to Bloomberg, President Trump issued an executive order directing the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) director to submit plans to reduce federal workforce size in cooperation with DOGE. The plan reportedly includes hiring only one person for every four employees who leave government agencies, though positions related to public safety, immigration enforcement, and law enforcement are excluded. Bloomberg noted that "it's unclear whether DOGE, a White House subdivision, has the authority to implement large-scale layoffs."

Criticism continues that Musk's companies are benefiting under the Trump administration. The New York Times (NYT) reported today that "less than a month into Trump's presidency, Musk's vast business empire is already benefiting or positioned to benefit much more favorably."

According to NYT, the dismissed bureaucrats included those who were investigating, enforcing laws, or pursuing litigation against Musk's enterprises. At least 11 federal agencies conducting over 32 investigations into Musk's six companies, including SpaceX and Tesla, are reportedly affected by the Trump administration's government reorganization.

Hankyung Reporter