Washington, Feb 11 (EFE).- United States President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday to “significantly reduce the size of government” by instructing the heads of federal departments and agencies to implement plans for “large-scale reductions in force.”
Trump’s latest order directs the federal government to implement a “workforce optimization initiative” created by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The order instructs agency heads to “coordinate and consult with DOGE to shrink the size of the federal workforce and limit hiring to essential positions.”
The president appeared before the press in the Oval Office of the White House alongside Musk, who wore a black MAGA (Make America Great Again) cap, Trump’s campaign slogan.
Along them was the South African tycoon’s youngest son, X Æ A-Xii, whom the entrepreneur calls X, the same name he uses for several of his companies.
Trump turned the floor over to Musk, who said, “The people voted for major government reform, and that’s what the people are going to get.”
Musk told reporters that federal employees must be held able, calling the bureaucracy an “unelected” fourth branch of government.
The DOGE’s rapid downsizing and freezing of government programs has been the subject of criticism in the US, particularly from Democrats, who say it is illegal.
Dozens of lawsuits in recent weeks have challenged the constitutionality of the DOGE’s dismantling of agencies and programs established by Congress.
Judges have blocked some of the istration’s actions, barring Musk’s team from accessing sensitive Treasury Department data and pausing a deadline for “deferred resignations” offered to federal employees.
On Monday, a reporter asked Musk about any conflicts of interest and self-policing given that his companies hold several government contracts.
However, the tycoon downplayed criticism of his role in government and potential conflicts of interest.
“You can see whether I’m doing something that’s benefiting one of my companies or not,” Musk said.
The president said if he thought Musk had a conflict of interest with a project, he wouldn’t let Musk proceed.
Under Trump’s new executive order, agencies will only be able to hire one new employee for every four who leave their positions after the current federal hiring freeze ends, according to a White House document shared with The Washington Post.
As part of its offensive to cut spending, DOGE already dismantled the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), created after the 2008 financial crisis. EFE
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