In an exclusive pre-Super Bowl interview with Fox News' Bret Baier, former President Donald Trump revealed his intention to task Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), with investigating potential wasteful spending within the Education and Defense Departments. Trump expressed confidence in Musk's commitment to fiscal responsibility, highlighting the entrepreneur's dedication despite not receiving personal gain. "He's not gaining anything. In fact, I wonder how he can devote the time to it," Trump remarked.
Trump emphasized his campaign promise to curb government excess, stating, "I'm going to tell him very soon… to go check the Department of Education. He's going to find the same thing. Then I'm going to go into the military. Let's check the military. We're going to find billions, hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud and abuse, and the people elected me on that."
The interview, scheduled to air on Fox News Sunday hours before Super Bowl LIX, will delve into the Trump administration's early actions and goals for the first 100 days. A key focus will be the implementation of DOGE, established on January 20th to scrutinize federal agencies' spending. This initiative has sparked controversy, particularly among some Democrats who recently protested potential cuts to the Department of Education.
Trump's and the Republican party's stance on the Department of Education has been to advocate for its closure, arguing that states are better equipped to manage education. This position aligns with Trump's previous statements urging his then-nominee for Education Secretary, Linda McMahon, to work towards eliminating her own position.
Trump reiterated his commitment to identifying wasteful spending, stating, "The people want me to find it [the wasteful spending]," and praised Musk's assistance in this endeavor, adding, "And I've had great help with Elon Musk, who's been terrific." Further segments of the interview will be featured on the Monday, February 10th edition of "Special Report with Bret Baier."
