President Donald Trump said he will hold a news conference on Feb. 13 to discuss some of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) findings in its probes into multiple federal agencies.
Speaking from the Oval Office on Feb. 12 following the swearing-in of new Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Trump said he will reveal the recipients of federal contracts worth “hundreds of millions and even billions of dollars” that DOGE is working to eliminate.
Many Democratic lawmakers have criticized the Trump administration for giving DOGE the power to void federal appropriations, which are under congressional authority.
A reporter asked Trump if he could elaborate on his claims of widespread fraud and abuse in the federal government.
Trump said DOGE had found “tremendous fraud” in its review of federal contracts.
“What we’re going to do is, tomorrow, I’m having a news conference. I’m going to read to you some of the names that hundreds of millions and even billions of dollars have been given to,” Trump said.
“And if you tell me that we should be giving money to those things, those entities, I think you'll probably have to leave as a reporter.”
Trump said the government is throwing away “billions and billions of dollars” illegally.
“I went through a list of 200 expenditures that were made, and I found three that looked like they were reasonable, okay, three, and we'll be talking about that tomorrow,” Trump said.
“We have a lot of stuff, and I want to commend Elon [Musk]. ... He’s found more things than anybody could find. I think he’s got the credibility to do it.”
Earlier on Wednesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said she had receipts of five contracts that DOGE had already slashed in its efforts to reduce government spending. Providing a detailed list of those contracts and their purposes is an example of DOGE’s transparency, Leavitt emphasized.
Many Democrats have criticized Musk’s role in DOGE, not just for potential conflicts of interest in leading SpaceX—one of the federal government’s largest aerospace contractors—but also for being an unelected “special government employee” with the ability to probe into agencies and suggest changes that could lead to firings, canceled contracts, or the removal of certain agencies altogether.
Those lawmakers are calling it a “constitutional crisis,” alleging that the executive branch is stepping beyond Congress in the appropriations process, which is outlined by Article I of the U.S. Constitution.
Trump has previously vowed that Musk will only work with the administration’s discretion and permission. On Tuesday, Musk defended his role, saying that the public could clearly see if any of DOGE’s efforts benefit him or his companies.
During his remarks in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump said DOGE will soon look into the Departments of Education and Defense.
“We have to make our government smaller, more efficient, more effective and less expensive,” Trump said. “People have no idea how important it is.”
