Trump Directs Elon Musk to Hire 45 New DOGE Agents

Former President Donald Trump revealed that he advised billionaire Elon Musk to bring on 45 additional agents for his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to oversee and audit federal entities like the FBI, CIA, and Pentagon.

The Department of Government Efficiency, under Trump's directive, has shifted focus to some of the government’s largest and most impactful projects after first addressing smaller, less costly programs.

Trump tasked DOGE with cutting expenses and optimizing government operations. According to The Wall Street Journal, DOGE identified over $1 billion in spending reductions within the first three weeks of Trump's second administration.

DOGE reports that more than half of these savings are connected to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

The Journal also noted that DOGE’s tech team is targeting "low-hanging fruit" across various federal agencies.

“Great coordination across 35 agencies over the last two days to terminate 199 wasteful contracts saving ~$250mm, including: -Contract for ‘Asia Pacific – Sri Lanka climate change mitigation adaption and resilience coordinator services for forest service’ -Workshop for ‘Intercultural communication diversity dialogue circle communicating across differences,’” DOGE shared Friday night on X.

Elon Musk is reportedly aiming for $2 trillion in spending reductions, with DOGE expected to target larger programs like healthcare for even more substantial cuts.

DOGE has also partnered with the General Services Administration (GSA) to assess and potentially eliminate leases on government properties deemed unnecessary.

However, DOGE’s progress has not been without obstacles. Trump pointed out that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is rife with "fraud, waste, and corruption." On Friday, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order to halt DOGE from dismantling the agency entirely.

WATCH:

Trump disagreed with the judge's decision, which limits Treasury Department payment system access to “only civil servants with a job-related need for access.”

“I disagree with it 100 percent; I think it’s crazy. We have to solve the efficiency problem; we have to solve the fraud, waste, abuse,” Trump told Fox News’s Bret Baier in a pre-taped interview aired Sunday.

He added that the decision saddened him, calling it an “embarrassment.” Speaking to reporters, Trump said, “When a president can’t look for fraud and waste and abuse, we don’t have a country anymore. We’re very disappointed with the judges that would make such a ruling. But we have a long way to go. We have to look; we have to find all of the fraud that’s going on. We have tremendous fraud, tremendous waste and tremendous abuse and theft, by the way.”

“No judge should frankly be allowed to make that kind of a decision, it’s a disgrace,” Trump added.

U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer, appointed by former President Barack Obama, ruled that individuals from outside the department, including Elon Musk and DOGE, are barred from accessing Treasury Department systems. The ruling also required anyone currently blocked to delete downloaded content immediately.

Musk publicly criticized the ruling, calling Judge Engelmayer “corrupt” and accusing him of “protecting corruption.”

The judge overseeing the ongoing case, brought forward by 19 Democratic state attorneys general, will hold a hearing in New York on Friday to determine whether to extend the pause on DOGE's activities. Until then, the ruling remains in effect.

Accelerating Cuts Across Agencies

Despite legal challenges, DOGE has ramped up its cost-cutting measures. Within its first two weeks, DOGE eliminated approximately $1 billion in spending by canceling 85 DEI-related contracts.

“Through 1/29/2025, 85 DEIA-related contracts totaling ~$1B have been terminated within the Dept. of Ed, GSA, OPM, EPA, DoL, Treasury, DoD, USDA, Commerce, DHS, VA, HHS, State, NSF, NRC, NLRB, PBGC, USAID, RRB, SSA, SBA, BLM, CFPB, NPS, and NOAA,” DOGE stated on X.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) faced the largest cuts, with close to $500 million in contracts canceled.

Other significant reductions include:

• The Department of Agriculture, cutting nearly $110 million.
• The Department of Homeland Security, with a $14.9 million reduction.
• The Department of Health and Human Services, trimming $28.1 million.
• The Department of Labor, eliminating $7.8 million.
• The Department of Treasury, cutting $25.2 million.
• The Environmental Protection Agency, reducing spending by $3 million.
• The Department of Education, cutting $3.8 million.
• The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), slashing $45 million.

DOGE's actions have already reshaped federal spending, and additional measures are expected as Trump and Musk push forward their efficiency initiatives.