President Donald Trump said that Elon Musk will lead an audit of the Pentagon, aiming to uncover what he claims could be “hundreds of billions of dollars” in fraud and abuse.
During a Super Bowl interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, Trump revealed his plans to instruct Musk to broaden his oversight beyond the Department of Education to include the Department of Defense. “We’re going to find billions, hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud and abuse,” Trump asserted, referring to the Pentagon, the largest federal department with a budget nearing $1 trillion annually.
This initiative follows the passage of a defense bill signed by then-President Joe Biden in December, authorizing $895 billion in defense spending for the current fiscal year.
Musk, designated as a special government employee by the White House, has been tasked with leading efforts to reduce the size of the federal workforce through the newly established Department of Government Efficiency. His team has reportedly sought access to sensitive information across various government agencies, a move that has sparked legal and security concerns.
Critics argue that Musk’s involvement raises significant risks, including potential exposure of classified information and unauthorized restructuring of government agencies without congressional approval. Additionally, Musk’s companies hold substantial defense contracts, intensifying conflict of interest concerns.
National Security Adviser Mike Waltz highlighted the Pentagon’s shipbuilding processes as a primary area for review.
“Everything there seems to cost too much, take too long, and deliver too little to the soldiers,” Waltz stated on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” He emphasized the need for business leaders to reform the Pentagon’s acquisition processes, describing military shipbuilding as an “absolute mess.”
While leaders across the political spectrum acknowledge longstanding issues of waste within the Pentagon, Democrats and civil service unions caution that Musk’s department lacks the necessary expertise to manage such complex reforms. They warn that the audit could compromise national security by exposing sensitive defense programs.
Source: Reuters