Elon Musk denied allegations of a 'hostile takeover' of the US government, and defended his downsizing plans as he made a surprise appearance at the White House.
The world's richest man took questions from reporters for the first time in the Oval Office as he stood next to President Donald Trump, who tasked him with reducing spending in the federal government. Trump then signed an executive order giving Musk's Department of Government Efficiency more authority to cut federal staff.
It instructs agency heads to cooperate closely with this department, while stipulating that for every 4 people dismissed, only 1 should be hired.
"The cuts are reasonable measures, not draconian or radical. The people voted for major government reforms and this is what we are going to get. This is democracy...", declared Musk.
The billionaire entrepreneur, who is himself an appointed, not elected, official, described federal employees as an unelected, unconstitutional branch of government that he said has more power than any elected representative. The 53-year-old owner of Tesla, X and SpaceX wore a black hat with the words "Make America Great Again" written on it, and often responded with humor to reporters who asked him about his critics. He was accompanied by his 4-year-old son, who he carried on his shoulder for most of the conference.
Musk was also asked about recent false claims that the US government was sending millions of dollars in condoms to Gaza. "Some of the things I say may be incorrect, and they need to be corrected," he said.
Musk has been criticized for the powerful job he is taking on without oversight. Critics have raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest for the businessman, with Democrats accusing him of personally benefiting from some of the changes the Trump administration is undertaking. (A2 Televizion)
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