Elon Musk Admits ‘Not Everything I Say Is True’. What Mistakes Were Made While Controlling Federal Spending?
WASHINGTON D.C. — Elon Musk, serving as head of the Department of Government Efficiency, addressed concerns Tuesday about his role in managing federal expenditures, defending recent actions taken under his leadership while acknowledging past misstatements. Musk met with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office for about 30 minutes before speaking with reporters about his agency’s efforts to cut waste and improve efficiency within the federal government.
“The people voted for major government reform. There should be no doubt about that,” Musk said. “That was on the campaign. The president spoke about that at every rally.” He assured that those who backed Trump’s reelection would see changes in how the government operates. “They're gonna get what they voted for,” he added.
Musk outlined his department's approach, emphasizing that his team is implementing “common sense controls” rather than radical changes. “We’re really just talking about adding common sense controls that should be present, uh, that haven’t been present,” Musk said. “It’s not draconian or radical.”
However, questions have been raised about the legal authority behind Musk’s actions, particularly in withholding or redirecting congressionally approved funds. President Trump confirmed that Musk currently holds broad discretion over these decisions, stating, “At this point, basically, yeah.”
Musk also admitted to making public statements that were “absolutely not true” since launching his initiative, including misinformation about U.S. foreign aid. He acknowledged errors but maintained that his team is committed to fixing mistakes quickly. “Some of the things that I say will be incorrect and should be corrected,” Musk said. “We will make mistakes, but we'll act quickly to correct any mistakes.”
Critics have pointed to the lack of transparency surrounding the Department of Government Efficiency, commonly referred to as DOGE, and questioned whether Musk’s extensive government contracts present a conflict of interest. Musk denied any wrongdoing, asserting, “All of our actions are fully public. If you see anything, you say, like, wait a second. Hey, you know, that doesn’t. That seems like maybe that’s, you know, there’s a conflict there. It's not like people are gonna be shy about saying that. They’ll say it immediately.”
Musk also defended DOGE’s operations, stating, “All of our actions are maximally transparent. In fact, I don’t know of a case where an organization has been more transparent than the DOGE organization.”
Despite Musk’s assurances, questions remain regarding the actual impact of DOGE’s efforts. He cited outdated systems such as the Federal Employee Retirement System, which he claims is still managed through paper files stored in a Pennsylvania limestone mine. Additionally, he highlighted inefficiencies in the Treasury Department’s payment system, arguing that improved processes could prevent fraud and misallocated payments.
Musk and Trump further alleged widespread abuse within government programs, including fraudulent Social Security claims and overseas fraud rings siphoning U.S. taxpayer dollars. “We got people in there that are 150 years old,” Musk said, questioning the validity of some Social Security payments. Trump added, “A bunch of the fraud rings that are operating in the United States and taking advantage of the federal government, especially in the entitlements programs, are actually foreign fraud rings.” However, neither provided documentation or specifics to support these claims.
While the president asserted that DOGE had already identified “tens of billions of dollars” in fraud and waste, he fluctuated on the exact amount. “Maybe $500 billion. It's crazy the kind of numbers we're talking about,” Trump said. However, no official government report has yet confirmed any savings from DOGE’s work. Congress has requested documentation but has not received a response.
Senator Rand Paul, a supporter of government efficiency efforts, voiced concerns over DOGE’s authority. “DOGE does not have the power to stop the spending that Congress has already approved,” Paul said, arguing that any cuts should require congressional approval. Trump appeared open to the idea, stating, “If I need a vote of Congress to find fraud and abuse, it’s fine with me. I think we'll get the vote, although there'll be some people that wouldn't vote.”
With lawsuits challenging DOGE’s authority and lawmakers demanding transparency, the program faces increasing scrutiny. The courts will now weigh in on whether the executive branch can unilaterally withhold funds approved by Congress. Until then, Musk and Trump remain firm in their push for what they call long-overdue government reform.
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