Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), described the scale of waste and fraud within the federal government as “astonishing” during a Fox News interview. “The sheer amount of waste and fraud in the government. It is astonishing. It's mind-blowing. We routinely encounter wastes of a billion dollars or more, casually,” Musk said, highlighting the department’s ongoing audit efforts.

When asked about criticism of DOGE’s cost-cutting initiatives, Musk emphasized the department’s deliberate and cautious approach. “We need to measure twice, if not thrice and cut once,” he noted. “That is our approach and they may characterize it as shooting from the hip, but it's not that,” he said, responding to detractors who accuse DOGE of reckless reductions.

Musk also defended DOGE’s legal and constitutional legitimacy, arguing that preventing fraud and waste aligns directly with congressional mandates. “The law does say that money needs to be spent correctly. It should not be spent fraudulently or wastefully,” he said. “It's not contrary to Congress to avoid waste and fraud, it is consistent with the law and consistent with Congress.”

He added that DOGE keeps Congress as informed as possible and noted strong support—particularly from Republican lawmakers. “We've seen actually great support, at least from the Republican side of the House,” Musk remarked, while acknowledging that “occasionally some Democrats offer support too.”

Addressing the criticism the department has received, Musk stated that opponents often make broad claims without targeting specific policies. “They don't attack any of the specifics. They say that what we're doing is somehow unconstitutional or illegal or whatever,” he explained. “But they can’t point to which line of the cost savings they disagree with.”

Musk’s comments underscore his commitment to DOGE’s mission of improving fiscal responsibility and eliminating waste, positioning the agency as a key component of the Trump administration’s reform agenda.