Elon Musk appeared with President Trump in the Oval Office on Tuesday. He described the Dept. of Government Efficiency (DOGE) as a long-needed effort of "rightsizing" the government.

The SpaceX and Tesla billionaire brought his son "X" with him. He wore a black coat and "Make America Great Again" hat.

Musk is in charge of the massive government audit, as the newly appointed head of the Department of DOGE. He addressed reporters for the first time amid his aggressive cost-cutting efforts across the federal government.

On the same day, Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to coordinate with DOGE to "shrink the size of the federal workforce and limit hiring to essential positions," according to a White House fact sheet.

He stated that his team is reviewing federal employees who appear to have high net worths despite low salaries, claiming—without providing evidence—that some may be "getting wealthier at the taxpayer expense."

"There needs to be a lot of people working for the federal government, but not as many as currently," Musk added.

Rightsizing Begins on DOGE Website

DOGE’s official government website was updated on Wednesday to include a feed of posts from X, sections displaying publicly available data on the government workforce, and a message promising an update on "savings" by Valentine’s Day, which falls on Friday.

The "Savings" section is expected to provide insight into DOGE’s progress toward Musk's goal of cutting the $2 trillion deficit in half by next year.

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Legal Challenges

Musk defended DOGE’s cost-cutting measures, stating they are not "draconian or radical" but necessary "for America to remain solvent as a country."

He cited a cursory examination of Social Security records, alleging that some individuals listed in the system were "150 years old" or had "no identifying information."

However, DOGE has already encountered legal challenges.

A federal judge temporarily blocked Musk and his team from accessing Treasury Department records, including sensitive data such as Social Security numbers and bank account information of millions of Americans.

Despite this setback, the administration and key Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, have criticized the court's actions and questioned lower courts decisions.

Johnson stated on Tuesday that the courts should "step back" and allow DOGE to proceed with its work.