Trump empowers Musk by ordering agencies to cooperate with Doge | Trump administration

Donald Trump handed Elon Musk even more control over the federal government by preparing an executive order requiring agencies to cooperate with Musk’s so-called “department of government efficiency” (Doge), a team Trump has assembled, when told to cut their workforces and limit the hiring of replacements.

The White House order, titled Implementing The President’s “Department of Government Efficiency” Workforce Optimization Initiative, said the goal is to “restore accountability to the American public” and that “this order commences a critical transformation of the Federal bureaucracy. By eliminating waste, bloat, and insularity, my Administration will empower American families, workers, taxpayers, and our system of Government itself.”

The order notes that agency heads “will undertake plans for large-scale reductions in force and determine which agency components (or agencies themselves) may be eliminated or combined because their functions aren’t required by law”.

It also said that agencies should “hire no more than one employee for every four employees that depart from federal service” and “shall not fill any vacancies for career appointments that the DOGE Team Lead assesses should not be filled, unless the Agency Head determines the positions should be filled”.

Exceptions are planned for military personnel and agencies dealing in immigration, law enforcement and public safety.

Trump and Musk are encouraging federal workers to resign in return for financial incentives, though a judge is currently reviewing the legality of the orders. Administration officials said more than 65,000 workers have opted to take the buyout option.

Musk, the world’s richest man, took questions from reporters for the first time since he joined the Trump administration as a “special” government employee.

The X owner reportedly said that there are some good people in the federal bureaucracy, but that they need to be held accountable, and referred to Doge as an “unelected” fourth branch.

“The people voted for major government reform and that’s what the people are going to get,” he said. “That’s what democracy is all about.”

Musk also described himself as an open book despite criticism towards his lack of transparency in reshaping the federal government. He joked that the scrutiny was like a “daily proctology exam”.

“Your tax dollars need to be spent wisely, on things that matter,” Musk said, in defense of Doge. Earlier this week, the Trump administration tried to cut billions of dollars in medical research funding, before being blocked by a judge a few days later.

On Tuesday, hundreds of people rallied outside the US Capitol to protest the orders and support federal workers. Similar protests have been going on across the country on a nearly daily basis since Trump took office.

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