In a recent press conference held in the Oval Office, President Donald Trump emphasized the alleged cost-cutting initiatives of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). This department is spearheaded by his prominent oligarch megadonor, Elon Musk. Additionally, the President issued a cautionary note regarding certain judges who have ruled against DOGE's attempts to restructure federal agencies and freeze their funds, suggesting they would need to be scrutinized closely.
President Trump described DOGE as a group of Musk allies, including young programmers, who are actively involved in reforming the U.S. government’s human resources and payment systems. He vaguely claimed that the group had uncovered “billions and billions of dollars in waste, fraud, and abuse.” However, he expressed frustration that the courts have, in several instances, hindered their activities.
For example, on Saturday, a U.S. District judge in New York responded to a lawsuit from 19 states by issuing an emergency order. This order prevented DOGE from accessing personal data, such as Social Security numbers, via the Treasury Department, citing “huge cybersecurity risks.” Furthermore, on Tuesday, the First Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals denied a motion from the Trump administration seeking to overturn a previous order to release billions in federal grants that DOGE and the White House had decided to withhold.
“It seems hard to believe that judges want to try and stop us from looking for corruption,” Trump remarked to reporters on Tuesday, with Musk, sporting a MAGA hat, standing beside him. “We want to weed out the corruption, and it seems hard to believe that a judge could say, ‘We don’t want you to do that.’” The President further suggested that the judges might need to be scrutinized, implying a serious violation, though he did not specify what kind of violation might have occurred.
Musk, who had earlier called for the impeachment of the judge who ruled against DOGE's access to Treasury records, shared an X post identifying the daughter of the judge who ordered the Trump administration to unfreeze federal funds. This was after the judge found that the administration had disobeyed his order.
Just weeks into his second term, President Trump and his allies have shown little willingness to comply with unfavorable judicial rulings, hinting at a potential constitutional crisis. Vice President J.D. Vance has claimed that Trump possesses the executive power to ignore court rulings. The administration has adopted a bold legal strategy, acting with the belief they can operate with impunity.
During the conference, Musk addressed questions about spreading misinformation, such as the false claim that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) had sent $50 million worth of condoms to Hamas in Gaza. He admitted, “First of all, some of the things I say will be incorrect and should be corrected. Nobody’s going to bat a thousand. We will make mistakes, but we’ll react quickly to correct any mistakes.” Notably, Trump echoed this false claim, even after the White House acknowledged its inaccuracy.
Despite attempts by DOGE and the Trump administration to shut down USAID, a Trump-appointed judge recently issued a restraining order to prevent employees from being placed on administrative leave or recalled from overseas assignments.
Musk sought to alleviate concerns about potential conflicts of interest arising from his roles at DOGE and his companies, which hold significant government contracts. He argued that transparency would be key, stating, “We actually are trying to be as transparent as possible. In fact, our actions, we post our actions to the DOGE handle on X and to the DOGE website. So all of our actions are maximally transparent.” However, this statement overlooked the fact that DOGE staffers have been spreading misinformation online.
When questioned about overseeing agencies that provide substantial contracts to his companies, Musk suggested that public accountability would play a role. “So if you see anything, you say, like, wait a second, hey, Elon, that doesn’t — that seems like maybe that’s, you know, there’s a conflict there,” he said. “I don’t think, like, people are gonna be shy about saying that. They’ll say it immediately.”
President Trump added, “And if we thought that, we would not let him do that segment or look in that area, if we thought there was a lack of transparency or a conflict of interest. And we watch that also. He’s a big businessman. He’s a successful guy. That’s why we want him doing this.”
The suggestion that DOGE is adhering to ethical guidelines appears questionable as Trump and Musk increasingly target judges who rule against their actions within government agencies. Currently, the nation faces a growing confrontation between the judiciary and a non-compliant White House. Meanwhile, the MAGA supporters are expected to intensify their rhetoric against those enforcing the law.
