Elon Musk tasked with uncovering Pentagon's fiscal flaws

Trump said, "Soon, maybe even within 24 hours, I will direct him to the Ministry of Education. Then I plan to go into the military." We'll find billions, hundreds of millions of dollars in abuses and frauds. This year's Pentagon budget reaches 895 billion dollars, Reuters reminded.

Musk has taken the lead of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The owner of Tesla and the X platform has, as explained by the White House, the status of a special government employee, which is usually granted to external advisors performing work for less than 130 days a year.

His role is to "eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse" in the federal administration and reduce employment among government workers.

National Security Advisor Mike Waltz also spoke on Sunday about defence spending. In an interview with NBC, he stated that Musk may be particularly interested in the shipbuilding process. Waltz criticized the Pentagon, claiming that "everything there seems to cost too much, take too long, and give soldiers too little."

- We need business leaders to come in and absolutely reform procurement processes - he said. He described the army's shipyard orders as "an absolute mess."

Leaders from across the political spectrum have long criticized wastefulness and inefficiency in the Pentagon. However, Democrats and civil service unions argue that DOGE lacks the expertise to restructure the Pentagon, and their efforts risk exposing secret military programs. Moreover, Musk's companies also have significant contracts with the Pentagon, raising serious concerns about conflict of interest.