Trump Predicts Musk Will Uncover Billions in Pentagon Waste
U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he expects Elon Musk to uncover hundreds of billions of dollars in fraud and waste at the Pentagon as part of an audit led by the billionaire.
“I’m going to tell him very soon, maybe within 24 hours, to check the Department of Education… Then I’ll say, ‘Go to the military. Let’s check the military,'” Trump said during a Super Bowl interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, an excerpt of which aired Sunday morning.
“We’re going to find billions, hundreds of billions of dollars in fraud and abuse,” he added, referring to the Pentagon, the largest federal department.
With its budget nearing $1 trillion annually, the Pentagon remains under scrutiny for inefficiency. In December, then-President Joe Biden approved $895 billion in defense spending for the fiscal year ending September 30.
Musk, whom the White House has designated as a special government employee, has been tasked by Trump with leading an effort to reduce the size of the U.S. federal workforce. As part of this initiative, Musk’s aides have sought access to confidential government systems across multiple agencies.
Critics argue that these actions may be illegal, could expose classified information, and are effectively dismantling agencies without congressional approval.
National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, in a separate interview on Sunday, suggested that the Pentagon’s shipbuilding process could be a key area of interest for the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). He described the Pentagon as rife with inefficiency.
“Everything there seems to cost too much, take too long, and deliver too little to the soldiers… We need business leaders to go in and completely reform the Pentagon’s acquisition process,” Waltz said.
“Shipbuilding, in particular, is an absolute mess,” he added.
While concerns about waste and inefficiency at the Pentagon have long been a bipartisan issue, Democrats and civil service unions argue that Musk’s DOGE lacks the expertise needed for structural reforms. They warn that his involvement could compromise classified programs.
Adding to the controversy, Musk’s companies hold major contracts with the Pentagon, raising significant concerns over potential conflicts of interest.
