 "Elon Musk-led DOGE has made tall claims about savings of $55 billion. AFP")
In a rare interview with Fox News, Tesla CEO Elon Musk and seven members of his so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” sat down and defended their actions after US President Donald Trump assumed the White House. The interview is coming at a time when Musk’s office is facing major backlash for introducing a wide range of cuts in key government agencies.
During the one-hour interview, the billionaire downplayed the number of government employees his initiative has targeted. He insisted that only a small percentage of the overall workforce was fired from their post, others left voluntarily.
“Almost no one has gotten fired,” Musk claimed. However, Musk’s planned cuts intend to lay off or buy out around 100,000 federal employees. However, courts have ordered thousands of workers to be reinstated after finding they were illegally fired.
Doge calls themselves ‘vital for the survival of the government
Musk and his staffers faced major backlash for laying off federal employees. Not only this, people also raised questions about them gaining access to sensitive government data. The department also played a critical role in dismantling USAID, the world’s largest single source of humanitarian aid, as well as firing thousands of government workers.
During the interview, Doge staffers took turns emphasising that their efforts are vital to the survival of the government and claiming their overhaul would help Americans. Some of the members touted their experience working as tech executives and said that they could import ideas from Silicon Valley and private enterprises into government.
“We really believe that the government can have an Apple Store-like experience,” said Joe Gebbia, a Doge team member who co-founded Airbnb. The Fox News interview took place at a time when Doge is facing two dozen lawsuits that allege Musk and his team acted without legal authority while violating privacy and transparency laws.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsSeveral polls also suggested that the majority of American voters disapprove of Musk’s initiative, with attitudes toward Doge largely divided along partisan lines. Not only this, but Musk’s own favourability among Americans has reduced as well.
With inputs agencies.