Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) will expand their review of federal agencies, with President Donald Trump ordering the team to begin investigating the Department of Education immediately, followed by a deeper look at the Pentagon.
Speaking ahead of the Super Bowl, Trump confirmed that Musk will shift his focus to education spending within the next 24 hours. “I ran on this, and the people want me to find it,” Trump said. “Elon’s been terrific, and he’s not gaining anything from this. He just wants to fix the waste.”
The Department of Education has been a frequent target of conservative efforts to scale back federal influence over schools. Trump has previously suggested eliminating the agency entirely, and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt recently stated that officials are exploring ways to downsize or abolish it.
Trump also emphasized that military spending will soon come under review. “Let’s check the military. We’re going to find billions, hundreds of billions, of dollars of fraud and abuse,” he said.
The Pentagon has struggled with financial oversight, failing multiple audits despite receiving a budget increase for fiscal year 2025 that pushed its funding past $900 billion. Wasteful spending in the defense sector has long been a concern, with past reports highlighting excessive costs for basic supplies and procurement mismanagement.
Musk’s previous moves to cut government waste have already sparked backlash. His efforts to restructure USAID led to thousands of employees being placed on leave. Lawsuits have been filed challenging DOGE’s authority to overhaul federal programs, but Trump has remained firm in his support for Musk’s cost-cutting measures.
