US President Donald Trump yesterday urged billionaire Elon Musk to be more aggressive in his efforts to shrink the federal government despite uproar over layoffs and deep spending cuts.
“Elon is doing a great job, but I would like to see him get more aggressive,” Trump posted all in uppercase letters on his Truth Social platform. “Remember, we have a country to save, but ultimately, to make greater than ever before. MAGA!”
Trump has put the tech entrepreneur in charge of the Department of Government Efficiency, tasking him with slashing public spending and tackling waste and alleged corruption.
Musk – the world’s richest person and Trump’s biggest donor – has led the effort to fire swathes of the federal workforce.
In the latest cuts announced on Friday, the US Defence Department will cut its civilian workforce by at least five per cent starting next week.
Trump’s administration has already begun firing many other federal workers who are on probationary status. A judge on Thursday denied a union bid to temporarily halt the firing of thousands of people.
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is a free-ranging entity run by Musk, though the cost-cutting spree has been met with pushback on several fronts and a mixed bag of court rulings.
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