The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is quickly exerting control over vast areas of the U.S. government, and demanding access to sensitive information with plans to block spending it deems excessive.
DOGE representatives got direct access to a payment system that distributes trillions of dollars each year.
This included access to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), following a clash with security officials.
Democrats and some Republicans were outraged, saying that Elon Musk, the head of DOGE, doesn’t have the authority to overturn programmes and spending priorities decided by Congress.
There are concerns that DOGE is run by people in the tech sector who haven’t been confirmed by the Senate, and could benefit financially from DOGE’s actions.
DOGE was intended to be an advisory panel, but Trump signed an executive order that established DOGE within the executive.
No list of DOGE’s employees or their potential conflicts of interest has been released.
Musk posted that he planned to withdraw some Health and Human Services Department grants. He also alleged that terrorist groups had received payments through the Treasury Department.
He said he would cut federal spending by $4 billion a day, though he didn’t say how. He alleged that career Treasury officials were routinely making illegal payments.
On Sunday Trump said: “I think Elon is doing a good job. He’s a big cost-cutter. Sometimes we won’t agree with it, and we’ll not go where he wants to go. But I think he’s doing a great job. He’s a smart guy.”
USAID Director Security John Voorhees and his deputy originally refused access to DOGE, but they were then put on administrative leave, apparently for not complying.