Elon Musk made a surprise appearance at the White House, where he denied accusations of leading a “hostile takeover” of the U.S. government.
Standing alongside President Trump, he defended his cost-cutting initiatives and discussed his role in the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (Doge).
Trump signed an order granting Doge increased authority to reduce the federal workforce, directing agency heads to cooperate.
Musk faced criticism from Democrats for the agency’s transparency issues and ongoing legal challenges, labeling federal workers as an “unelected, fourth, unconstitutional branch of government” with significant power over elected officials.