Politics
Trump tasks Elon Musk with slashing billions in spending at Pentagon
By Craig Nigrelli (Reporter), Jack Henry (Video Editor)
- President Donald Trump is looking at making big funding cuts at the Department of Defense. Trump made such remarks during an interview on Sunday.
- The president suggested that, when looking for government waste, the Department of Government Efficiency, headed by Elon Musk, would find hundreds of billions of dollars in fraud and abuse.
- Some are now wondering how such cuts might affect future American aid to Ukraine.
Full Story
In a wide-ranging interview with Fox News, broadcast on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9, President Donald Trump said Elon Musk, who runs the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), would soon be targeting the Defense Department. DOGE is the organization that the Trump administration tasked with slashing spending from the federal government.
Media Landscape
See how news outlets across the political spectrum are covering this story. Learn more
Left 32%
Center 47%
Right 22%
Bias Summary
- University students are suing the Department of Education, claiming it unlawfully granted DOGE access to sensitive financial aid data, violating federal privacy laws.
- The lawsuit alleges that DOGE employees used personal data to analyze agency spending, posing significant security risks.
- The complaint states that the extent of DOGE's involvement is unclear, and may have compromised more personal information.
- Concerns have been raised about the transparency of DOGE's actions, with officials expected to investigate another sensitive database next week.
- Nineteen Democratic attorneys general filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump to prevent Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency from accessing sensitive Treasury records that include personal data of millions of Americans.
- The lawsuit claims that DOGE's access to Treasury records could disrupt funding approved by Congress, and violates federal law and the U.S. Constitution's separation of powers.
- Connecticut Attorney General William Tong expressed concerns about DOGE's unclear intentions with the sensitive information it accessed from the Treasury systems.
- New York Attorney General Letitia James stated that DOGE's actions raise significant security risks, and could lead to unauthorized freezes on federal funds essential for many Americans.
- U.S. President Donald Trump has directed Elon Musk to review spending at the Pentagon and Education Department, aiming to identify waste and fraud in federal agencies.
- Musk's Department of Government Efficiency has already put most employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development on leave amid allegations of corruption.
- The focus will soon shift to the Social Security Administration, which reportedly disbursed $2 billion in improper payments in 2022.
- Trump stated that Social Security will not be cut but strengthened, addressing concerns about illegal immigrants receiving benefits.
Bias Comparison
Media outlets on the left
emphasize concerns regarding DOGE’s security risks related to sensitive data access, highlighting potential transparency issues.
Media outlets in the center
emphasize the constitutional implications of DOGE’s access to Treasury records, citing disruption to Congress-approved funding.
Media outlets on the right
emphasize Trump’s directive for Musk to scrutinize government spending, framing it within broader fiscal responsibility.
Report an issue with this comparison
Bias Distribution
Far
Left
Left
+0
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Untracked Bias
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172 other sources covering this story
Total News Sources
172
Leaning Left
32
Center
47
Leaning Right
22
Last Updated
2 months ago
Bias Distribution Powered by Ground News™
What did the president say about cuts at the Pentagon?
Trump termed Musk’s work at DOGE as “terrific,” which has included efforts to shut down departments, such as the U.S. Agency for International Development, and lay off or buy out federal government workers.
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The president then noted that Musk is also going to check the military. He said they are going to find hundreds of billions of dollars in fraud and abuse.
The president did not elaborate on the specific plan for cuts at the Pentagon. However, back in November, Reuters reported that Trump’s transition team had drawn up a list of potential military officers to be fired.
How might this affect funding for Ukraine?
In addition, Musk’s attempts to slash funding at the Defense Department might threaten future U.S. military support for Ukraine.
A recent weapons package, originating from the Biden administration, has now used up the last of the funding from the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. The initiative had allocated a total of about $33 billion in American aid for Ukraine to buy such things as air defense missiles, ammunition and artillery shells.
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What about future aid or weapons?
Neither Trump nor Congress has approved new arms shipments to Ukraine since he took office on Jan. 20.
Tags: Department of Defense, DOGE, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, federal employees, Joe Biden, Russia, The Pentagon, Treasury Secretary, Ukraine aid
[Craig Nigrelli]
IN A WIDE-RANGING INTERVIEW WITH FOX NEWS BROADCAST ON SUPER BOWL SUNDAY, PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SAID ELON MUSK, WHO RUNS THE DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY, OR DOGE, WOULD SOON BE TARGETING THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT. DOGE IS THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ORGANIZATION TASKED WITH SLASHING WASTE FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
TRUMP TERMED MUSK’S WORK AT DOGE AS TERRIFIC, WHICH HAS INCLUDED EFFORTS TO SHUT DOWN DEPARTMENTS, SUCH AS THE U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAYOFF OR BUYOUT FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WORKERS. THE PRESIDENT THEN TURNED TO WHAT CUTS ARE AHEAD.
[ Donald Trump :”Then i’m going to tell him like maybe in 24 hours to go check the Department of Education. He’s going to find the same thing and then I’m going to go, go to the military, let’s check the military. We are going to find billions, hundreds of billions of fraud and abuse. “ ]
TRUMP DID NOT ELABORATE ON THE SPECIFIC PLAN FOR CUTS AT THE PENTAGON. HOWEVER, BACK IN NOVEMBER, REUTERS REPORTED TRUMP’S TRANSITION TEAM HAD DRAWN UP A LIST OF POTENTIAL MILITARY OFFICERS, TO BE FIRED AT THE PENTAGON.
MASS FIRINGS AT THE PENTAGON WOULD BE UNPRECEDENTED WHERE THE REPUBLICAN-CONTROLLED SENATE RECENTLY CONFIRMED PETE HEGESETH AS DEFENSE SECRETARY AND HE’S NOW IN-CHARGE.
IN ADDITION, MUSK’S ATTEMPTS TO SLASH FUNDING AT THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT, MIGHT THREATEN FUTURE U.S. MILITARY SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE. A LATE DECEMBER WEAPONS PACKAGE FROM THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, HAS NOW USED UP THE LAST OF THE FUNDING FROM THE UKRAINE SECURITY ASSISTANCE INITIATIVE. THE INITIATIVE HAD ALLOCATED A TOTAL OF A $33 BILLION IN AMERICAN AID FOR UKRAINE TO BUY SUCH THINGS AS AIR DEFENSE MISSILES AND AMMUNITION AS WELL AS ARTILLERY SHELLS.
NEITHER TRUMP NOR CONGRESS HAVE APPROVED NEW ARMS SHIPMENTS TO UKRAINE, SINCE HE TOOK OFFICE ON JANUARY 20TH..
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Media Landscape
See how news outlets across the political spectrum are covering this story. Learn more
Left 32%
Center 47%
Right 22%
Bias Summary
- University students are suing the Department of Education, claiming it unlawfully granted DOGE access to sensitive financial aid data, violating federal privacy laws.
- The lawsuit alleges that DOGE employees used personal data to analyze agency spending, posing significant security risks.
- The complaint states that the extent of DOGE's involvement is unclear, and may have compromised more personal information.
- Concerns have been raised about the transparency of DOGE's actions, with officials expected to investigate another sensitive database next week.
- Nineteen Democratic attorneys general filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump to prevent Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency from accessing sensitive Treasury records that include personal data of millions of Americans.
- The lawsuit claims that DOGE's access to Treasury records could disrupt funding approved by Congress, and violates federal law and the U.S. Constitution's separation of powers.
- Connecticut Attorney General William Tong expressed concerns about DOGE's unclear intentions with the sensitive information it accessed from the Treasury systems.
- New York Attorney General Letitia James stated that DOGE's actions raise significant security risks, and could lead to unauthorized freezes on federal funds essential for many Americans.
- U.S. President Donald Trump has directed Elon Musk to review spending at the Pentagon and Education Department, aiming to identify waste and fraud in federal agencies.
- Musk's Department of Government Efficiency has already put most employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development on leave amid allegations of corruption.
- The focus will soon shift to the Social Security Administration, which reportedly disbursed $2 billion in improper payments in 2022.
- Trump stated that Social Security will not be cut but strengthened, addressing concerns about illegal immigrants receiving benefits.
Bias Comparison
Media outlets on the left
emphasize concerns regarding DOGE’s security risks related to sensitive data access, highlighting potential transparency issues.
Media outlets in the center
emphasize the constitutional implications of DOGE’s access to Treasury records, citing disruption to Congress-approved funding.
Media outlets on the right
emphasize Trump’s directive for Musk to scrutinize government spending, framing it within broader fiscal responsibility.
Report an issue with this comparison
Bias Distribution
Far
Left
Left
+0
Click to close
Click to close
Click to close
Click to close
Click to close
Click to close
Click to close
Untracked Bias
Click to close
172 other sources covering this story
Total News Sources
172
Leaning Left
32
Center
47
Leaning Right
22
Last Updated
2 months ago
Bias Distribution Powered by Ground News™
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