In his unexpected first visit to the White House on Tuesday, Elon Musk denied spearheading a “hostile takeover” of the US government and defended his cost-cutting initiatives.
Standing beside President Donald Trump, who has charged him with cutting the size and spending of the federal government, the richest man in the world fielded questions from reporters in the Oval Office.
After that, Trump issued an order granting Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) additional power to reduce federal employment. It directed government agency heads to follow Doge’s instructions.
Democrats have criticized the agency for allegedly lacking transparency, and legal challenges have also hindered its activities.
