President Donald Trump has ordered Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to conduct a full audit of the Pentagon’s funding, marking the latest in a series of cost-cutting measures aimed at eliminating government waste.
During a joint press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Trump was asked about his administration’s plans to review federal spending. He confirmed that he had instructed Musk to conduct an extensive audit of multiple agencies, including the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Education.
Yes, I have [directed Musk to review] the Pentagon, Education—just about everything, Trump stated.
BREAKING: President Trump reveals that he has instructed Elon Musk to access the Pentagon to conduct massive cost-cutting.
— George (@BehizyTweets) February 7, 2025
"I've instructed him to go check out Education, to check out the Pentagon, which is the military. And, you know, sadly, you'll find some things that are… pic.twitter.com/pPoJ8ibb7r
Trump suggested that while the Pentagon’s inefficiencies may not be as severe as those found in USAID, there would likely be significant budget mismanagement uncovered.
We’re going to go through everything, just like we did with this horrible situation with USAID. I guess 97% of the people have been dismissed. It was very, very unfortunate. You’re not going to find anything like that [at the Pentagon], but you’re going to find a lot, Trump added.
The Department of Defense, which operates on an $886 billion annual budget, has repeatedly failed financial audits. The Pentagon began its first full audit in 2017, after years of delays and congressional pressure. However, it has failed to pass every audit since, with billions of dollars unaccounted for.
In its most recent audit, only 9 out of 28 Pentagon entities received a clean opinion, while 15 were so disorganized that auditors couldn’t even determine their financial accuracy.
Trump’s move follows his administration’s dramatic downsizing of USAID, led by acting USAID Director and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Reports indicate that 97% of the agency’s 14,000 employees have been dismissed, leaving just 294 staff members worldwide.
Trump hinted that similar cost-cutting efforts could extend to the Pentagon but acknowledged that the scale of inefficiencies might not be as extreme.
I’ve instructed him [Musk] to check the Pentagon, which is the military. Sadly, you’ll find some things that are pretty bad. But I don’t think, proportionately, you’re going to see anything like we just saw [with USAID], Trump said.
The audit marks a significant shift in Trump’s efforts to streamline government spending. With Musk overseeing the review, the administration aims to eliminate inefficiencies, reduce unnecessary expenditures, and improve financial transparency within the Pentagon.
This is a developing story—check back for updates.