Elon Musk denied leading a “hostile takeover” of the US government and defended his cost-cutting plans as he made a surprise first appearance at the White House on Tuesday. The world’s richest man took questions from reporters in the Oval Office as he stood next to President Donald Trump, who has tasked him with slashing the size and spending of the federal government. Trump then signed an order giving Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) more authority to cut the federal workforce. But Musk, who was questioned by reporters for the first time since Trump took office last month, described sweeping government cuts as “common sense” measures that are “not draconian or radical”. “The people voted for major government reform and that’s what the people are going to get,” he said. “That’s what democracy is all about.” The billionaire technology entrepreneur, who himself was appointed and not elected, described federal workers as an “unelected, fourth, unconstitutional branch of government” that he said has “more power than any elected representative”. Musk also said it’s “not optional for us to reduce the federal expenses. It’s essential. It’s essential for America to remain solvent as a country.”
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