U.S. President Donald Trump said he expects Elon Musk to uncover hundreds of billions of dollars in fraud and waste at the Pentagon during an audit led by the billionaire.
"I'm going to tell him very soon, like maybe in 24 hours, to go check the Department of Education. ... Then I'm going to go, go to the military. Let's check the military," Trump said in a Super Bowl interview with Fox News' Bret Baier. “We're going to find billions, hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud and abuse.”
The Pentagon’s budget is approaching $1 trillion annually. In December, then-President Joe Biden signed a bill authorizing $895 billion in defense spending for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30.
Musk’s Role and Controversy
The White House has designated Musk as a special government employee, tasking him with leading an initiative to reduce the size of the U.S. federal workforce. As part of this effort, Musk’s aides have reportedly sought access to confidential government data, raising legal and security concerns.
Critics argue that Musk’s involvement could risk exposing classified information and gutting federal agencies without congressional approval. Additionally, Musk’s companies hold major defense contracts, leading to concerns over potential conflicts of interest.
Targeting Pentagon Inefficiencies
National Security Adviser Mike Waltz highlighted shipbuilding as an area needing scrutiny, citing delays and cost overruns. “Everything there seems to cost too much, take too long, and deliver too little to the soldiers,” Waltz said on NBC’s ‘Meet the Press’.
“We need business leaders to go in and reform the Pentagon's acquisition process,” Waltz added, pointing to waste and inefficiencies in military spending.
While leaders from both parties have long criticized waste at the Pentagon, Democrats and civil service unions argue that Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency lacks expertise to implement meaningful reforms without jeopardizing classified programs.
With Musk’s expanding role in government oversight, scrutiny over his influence and defense contracts is expected to intensify.
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NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Wednesday he believes that some NATO countries were tested and failed amid Washington's criticism over European allies not getting involved in the U.S. and Israel's war against Iran.
Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke to astronauts on the Artemis II mission on Wednesday, celebrating the first Canadian to fly around the moon and marking a lighter moment in U.S.-Canadian relations that have been strained under U.S. President Donald Trump.
Trade discussions between China and the U.S. are expected to remain virtual for now, with no major investment initiatives planned before a potential meeting between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump, according to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
World leaders have welcomed a two-week ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. announced on Wednesday, following a tense day marked by threats from U.S. President Donald Trump to wipe out Iranian civilisation if a deal was not reached.
China and Russia vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution on Tuesday aimed at coordinating defensive efforts to protect commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, leaving no agreed international framework for securing the vital route.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah said it had stopped firing on northern Israel and Israeli forces on Wednesday as part of a two-week ceasefire in the Middle East brokered between the United States and Iran. However, a Hezbollah lawmaker warned that the pause could collapse if Tel Aviv does not adhere to it.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Iran and the United States, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate two-week ceasefire covering all areas, but Israel says the deal excludes Lebanon. Tel Aviv says the U.S. is committed to achieving shared goals in upcoming negotiations.
Recent U.S. complaints about NATO allies and threats to quit the alliance are pushing European countries to seek alternative security arrangements, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said on Tuesday.
Construction has begun on a major new solar power project in Xizang, as China continues to expand its renewable energy capacity and push towards a greener future.
North Korea has tested a new cluster-bomb warhead mounted on a tactical ballistic missile, alongside advanced electromagnetic and infrastructure-targeting weapons, in a significant escalation of its military capabilities.
A barrage of Russian drones targeted and damaged a critical power substation in Ukraine's southern Odesa region on Wednesday, Ukrainian officials confirmed.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 9 April, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Greece will ban access to social media for children under 15 from 1 January 2027, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Wednesday, citing rising anxiety, sleep problems and the addictive design of online platforms.
Trade discussions between China and the U.S. are expected to remain virtual for now, with no major investment initiatives planned before a potential meeting between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump, according to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
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