President Donald Trump outlined his plans to instruct Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative to probe the Education and Defense departments for wasteful spending in his pre-Super Bowl interview Fox News .
The president told host Bret Baier that Musk has been a trustworthy ally in fulfilling his promise to identify government waste and cut down on red tape.
“He’s not gaining anything. In fact, I wonder how he can devote the time to it,” Trump said.
“I’m going to tell him very soon… to go check the Department of Education. He’s going to find the same thing. Then I’m going to go into the military. Let’s check the military. We’re going to find billions, hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud and abuse, and the people elected me on that.”
NEW: Trump visibly surprised after Fox News’ Bret Baier asks him if he trusts Elon Musk, says he is going to send Musk after the Department of Education next.
Baier: “Bottom line, you say you trust [Elon]?”
Trump: “Trust Elon? He’s not gaining anything. In fact, I wonder how he… pic.twitter.com/zZlxetgc7H
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) February 9, 2025
“The people want me to find it [the wasteful spending],” Trump told Baier.”And I’ve had great help with Elon Musk, who’s been terrific.”
Musk’s DOGE initiative has taken center stage over the last several weeks, as the top Trump ally has employed a number of world class computer programmers and engineers to comb the federal governments various departments and agencies for potential waste.
The effort has generated outrage among elected Democrats, many of whom have gathered outside government buildings in unsuccessful attempt to gain access.
Thirty House Democrats attempted to enter the Department of Education building in Washington D.C. on Friday in an effort to meet with acting Education Secretary Denise L. Carter, though they were stopped by security.
President Trump has long hinted at shuttering the Department of Education entirely, a move that would require Congressional approval. The president is expected to issue a series of executive orders aimed at dismantling the department from the inside, however.
The order is expected to direct the Education Department to develop a legislative plan to present to Congress, the White House official told the outlet. It will also instruct the department to come up with a plan to cut down on staff and reduce its functions.
