Trump pushes Musk to be more aggressive in federal cuts

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said Saturday he would like his billionaire advisor Elon Musk to get “more aggressive” in implementing his reform agenda of cutting back the federal government.

“Elon is doing a great job, but I would like to see him get more aggressive,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “Remember, we have a country to save.”

Trump has put the tech entrepreneur in charge of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), tasking him with slashing public spending and tackling waste and alleged corruption.

Musk -- the world’s richest person and Trump’s biggest donor -- has led the effort to fire swaths of the federal workforce.

In the latest cuts announced Friday, the US Defense Department will reduce its civilian workforce by at least five percent starting next week. Trump’s administration has already begun firing many other federal workers who are on probationary status. DOGE is a free-ranging entity run by Musk, though the cost-cutting spree has been met with pushback on several fronts and mixed court rulings.

A judge on Thursday denied a union bid to temporarily halt the firing of thousands of people.

Musk said this week he would work with Trump for as long as he “can be helpful,” as the pair dismissed concerns over possible conflicts of interest due to the tech tycoon’s government contracts. Trump showered praise on Musk, the head of SpaceX and Tesla, in the Fox interview, calling the billionaire “brilliant,” “honest” and a “very good, solid businessman”.

“If there’s any conflict, he will stop it. But if he didn’t, I’d stop it,” Trump said. “We’re talking about big stuff, but he’s under a pretty big microscope. I mean, everybody’s watching him.”

Musk said DOGE was publicising its actions on its website and that the transparency would hold him accountable.

“The possibility of me getting away with something is zero percent,” Musk said. “I’m scrutinized to a ridiculous degree.”