This mixture of images created on August 12, 2024 reveals, L-R, Tesla CEO Elon Musk talking on the twenty seventh annual Milken Institute International Convention on the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles on Could 6, 2024 and former US President and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump standing onstage over the last day of the 2024 Republican Nationwide Conference on the Fiserv Discussion board in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 18, 2024. US President Donald Trump mentioned in remarks airing on February 9, 2025, that Musk, who’s presiding over a purge of US authorities jobs, will assist discover “a whole bunch of billions of {dollars} of fraud” in federal companies. Talking in a Fox Information interview set to air earlier than the Tremendous Bowl soccer championship, Trump mentioned the American individuals “need me to seek out” waste and that Musk, the world’s richest man and the chief of the president’s cost-cutting efforts, has been “an incredible assist” in rooting out pointless spending. (Picture by Frederic J. BROWN and Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP)
WASHINGTON, United States — US President Donald Trump mentioned in remarks aired Sunday that Elon Musk, who’s presiding over a purge of presidency jobs, will assist discover “a whole bunch of billions of {dollars} of fraud” in federal companies.
Talking in a Fox Information interview aired earlier than the Tremendous Bowl soccer championship, Trump mentioned the American individuals “need me to seek out” waste and that Musk, the world’s richest man and the chief of the president’s cost-cutting efforts, has been “an incredible assist” in rooting out pointless spending.
“We’re going to seek out billions, a whole bunch of billions of {dollars} of fraud and abuse. And, you realize, the individuals elected me on that,” Trump instructed Fox Information Channel’s Bret Baier.
Throughout his three weeks in workplace the president has unleashed a flurry of government orders aimed toward slashing federal spending. He has appointed SpaceX and Tesla boss Musk to steer his federal cost-cutting efforts underneath the so-called Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE).
The administration has highlighted a number of authorities tasks Trump believes ought to be ended or curtailed, however proof of any widespread criminal activity or fraud has not been offered.
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Musk has already taken unprecedented steps to close down the US Company for Worldwide Improvement (USAID), shedding hundreds of workers.
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On Friday, a federal decide ordered a brief pause to the administration’s plan to place 2,200 USAID staff on paid go away.
Within the interview, Trump claimed there was “a whole bunch of tens of millions of {dollars} of cash that’s going to locations the place it shouldn’t be going.”
Trump mentioned in his interview that over the subsequent day or so he’ll order Musk to show his authorities scalpel to the Division of Training, a frequent goal of Republican ire.
“Then I’m going to go to the army,” Trump mentioned, reiterating his name for a assessment of spending on the Pentagon, whose funds totals some $850 billion.
Trump additionally doubled down on a scheme to annex Canada, saying the US’ northern neighbor “can be a lot better off being a 51st state, as a result of we lose $200 billion a 12 months with Canada.”
Since taking workplace, Trump has characterised billions of {dollars} in day by day bilateral commerce as a US “subsidy” and claimed with out proof that Canada wouldn’t be “a viable nation” with out it.
Trump threatened Canada and Mexico with a 25-percent tariff on all imports, suspending the measures after placing offers with each nations on plans to curb unlawful immigration and the trafficking of fentanyl into the US.
Each nations secured a one-month delay after the Eleventh-hour talks with Trump, however on Sunday the US chief warned what had been carried out thus far was “not sufficient.”
“One thing has to occur, it’s not sustainable, and I’m altering it,” he mentioned, when requested if each nations wanted to do extra earlier than the 30-day deadline.
‘Evisceration of democracy’
The function of Musk, a prime Trump donor and ally, within the president’s tasks has confronted criticism partly as a result of his firms have had billions of {dollars} in contracts with the US authorities — greater than $20 billion, in keeping with Home Democrat Mark Pocan.
Requested whether or not he trusts Musk to pretty root out wasteful spending, Trump appeared to claim that the rich entrepreneur and his companies usually are not benefiting financially by means of Musk’s work with DOGE.
“He’s not gaining something,” Trump mentioned.
Democrats have lined as much as slam Trump’s varied efforts, together with Senator Chris Murphy, who on Sunday warned of an “assault on the Structure” and mentioned Trump was ushering in a “billionaire takeover of presidency.”
“The president desires to have the ability to resolve how and the place cash is spent in order that he can reward his political buddies, he can punish his political enemies. That’s the evisceration of democracy,” Murphy instructed ABC Information discuss present “This Week.”
Home Speaker Mike Johnson, the highest Republican in Congress, has repeatedly downplayed considerations that Trump is exceeding his authority or speeding too shortly to overtake the federal authorities, together with companies like USAID.
“I’m not uncomfortable with the tempo of this,” Johnson instructed “Fox Information Sunday.”
The speaker described Musk as “an out of doors auditor” whose group is uncovering “unbelievable abuses of the general public fisc,” referring to the entire sum of money a authorities has to spend.
Trump’s Nationwide Safety Advisor Mike Waltz declined to say Sunday whether or not he believed it was a battle of curiosity to have Musk, whose firms maintain authorities protection contracts, oversee cost-cutting on the Pentagon.
“Every part there appears to price an excessive amount of, take too lengthy and ship too little to the troopers,” Waltz instructed NBC of Pentagon bills.
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En path to the Tremendous Bowl, Trump flew over the Gulf of Mexico, which he has ordered renamed the “Gulf of America,” and signed a proclamation recognizing February 9 as “Gulf of America Day.”
