Elon Musk recently made headlines after appearing at President Trump’s first cabinet meeting, where he addressed the work of his DOGE team. Dressed in a blend of casual and political attire, Musk described his role as “humble tech support” for the government, emphasizing that his team is focused on repairing outdated and malfunctioning IT systems. He claimed that many governmental computer systems are so antiquated that they fail to communicate properly, leading to significant inefficiencies.

to trim the federal deficit by eliminating what he termed “waste, fraud and abuse.” He highlighted that the country is burdened by excessive spending on interest payments—more than on defense—which he warned could eventually lead to a state of de facto bankruptcy. Despite facing personal criticism, including receiving numerous death threats, Musk remained defiant about the bold changes he intends to implement in governmental operations.

In addition to his technical efforts, Musk has been proactive in attempting to tighten federal workforce management. He recently pushed for federal employees to provide weekly updates on their accomplishments, an initiative that sparked resistance from several cabinet departments. Musk speculated that the government-wide email was not just a routine performance review but a measure to identify fictitious employees or “dead” individuals still on the payroll—a claim that has not been substantiated by any evidence.

Musk also conceded that his fast-paced cost-cutting measures might lead to mistakes, acknowledging that errors had already been identified in earlier claims of savings. Despite the backlash and unverified assertions, he announced plans to send out another round of communication to federal workers, emphasizing that the process aims to be fair and inclusive, even if the details of some projects must remain confidential for security reasons.