US President Donald Trump has called on Elon Musk to accelerate his efforts in reducing government spending, urging the billionaire advisor to take a more forceful approach to his cost-cutting mandate.
“Elon is doing a great job, but I would like to see him get more aggressive,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Saturday. “Remember, we have a country to save.”
Musk, who heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has been leading mass layoffs across federal agencies, targeting what the administration describes as wasteful spending and corruption.
In one of the most significant reductions so far, the US Defense Department announced on Friday that it will trim its civilian workforce by at least 5% starting next week.
Trump’s administration has also begun firing probationary federal workers, a move that has sparked legal challenges.
Despite growing opposition, a judge ruled Thursday against a union attempt to temporarily halt the layoffs.
Musk Promises to Continue Working with Trump
DOGE operates as a free-ranging entity under Musk’s leadership, with sweeping authority to streamline the federal workforce.
However, the initiative has faced court battles and bureaucratic resistance, with critics raising concerns over its transparency and accountability.
Musk, who donated heavily to Trump’s campaign and has close ties to the administration, insisted he would continue working with the president as long as he remained helpful.
Both men dismissed concerns over potential conflicts of interest, given Musk’s extensive government contracts through his companies, including SpaceX and Tesla.
Musk, for his part, maintained that his actions were highly scrutinised, stating, “The possibility of me getting away with something is zero per cent.”
Beyond his domestic policy influence, Musk has also weighed in on the Ukraine conflict, echoing Trump’s critical stance on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. This week, he claimed that Ukrainians despised Zelensky, reinforcing Trump’s broader scepticism toward continued US military aid to Kyiv.
With DOGE’s cost-cutting spree continuing and Musk’s role expanding, his involvement in both domestic and international affairs is drawing increasing scrutiny from political opponents and watchdog groups.
