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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