Musk Defends DOGE And Cuts on Fox News

Elon Musk appeared on Fox News' "Special Report" with host Bret Baier Thursday for an exclusive interview alongside seven members of his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team. This marked the first time Musk and his DOGE associates spoke together in a group interview since launching their initiative to cut trillions of dollars in federal government spending under the Trump administration.

During the hour-long segment, Musk and his team discussed their efforts to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse within the federal government. Musk emphasized that their goal was to reduce government spending by approximately 15% without compromising critical services, asserting that the level of inefficiency they uncovered was "astonishing" and "mind-blowing." He cited examples of routine discoveries of billion-dollar wastes, framing their work as a revolutionary step toward making America solvent and ensuring a "fantastic future."

Musk downplayed the impact of job cuts, claiming "almost no one has gotten fired" and that many departures were voluntary, despite reports of plans to eliminate up to 100,000 federal jobs facing legal challenges. 

Elon Musk says cost-cutting measures won't affect services like social security, but instead, recipients will get more in an interview on Fox News' "Special Report with Bret Baier." pic.twitter.com/CgkeRyZ2vO

— USA TODAY Politics (@usatodayDC) March 28, 2025

He and his team, which included figures like Steve Davis of SpaceX and Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia, defended their approach amid public backlash, particularly over cuts to agencies like the Social Security Administration. They pitched a vision of transforming government operations to be more efficient, likening it to an "Apple Store-like" experience.

The interview served as a charm offensive, with Musk portraying himself and his team as public servants aiming to improve America’s fiscal health. He addressed critics, including Democrats who warned of the risks to essential services, by insisting that vital programs would remain intact. The appearance came on the heels of a contentious week, following a Capitol Hill hearing where GOP lawmakers grilled NPR and PBS executives, aligning with Trump’s renewed call to defund those broadcasters—a cause Musk has supported through DOGE’s broader cost-cutting mission.

Musk’s high-profile role in the Trump administration, often seen at the President’s side, was a backdrop to the discussion, though his team members, typically low-profile, also shared insights into their findings across various federal departments. The interview aired at 6 PM ET, offering an unprecedented look into DOGE’s operations and reinforcing Musk’s narrative of tackling government inefficiency head-on.