Donald Trump said he would seek to cut billions of dollars from the Pentagon budget as the next big target in the effort led by Elon Musk to slash spending by US government agencies.
In an interview on Sunday, Trump backed Musk’s cost-cutting push through the so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” even as it faces growing setbacks in federal courts and allegations from Democrats that it is exceeding its powers.
Trump said Musk had been “terrific” and a “great help” in scouring the federal government for possible spending cuts so far. He indicated that the defence department, which has an annual budget of about $800bn, would be next in the billionaire’s sights.