Elon Musk denies 'hostile takeover' of government in surprise White House appearance

The world's richest man took questions for the first time since he was appointed to lead a sweeping government cost-cutting effort.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatch LiveHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcastsRadioVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveWeatherNewslettersElon Musk denies 'hostile takeover' of government in surprise White House appearance1 day agoMax MatzaBBC NewsWatch: Musk defends government cuts as he takes questions in Oval OfficeElon Musk denied leading a "hostile takeover" of the US government and defended his cost-cutting plans as he made a surprise first appearance at the White House on Tuesday.

The world's richest man took questions from reporters in the Oval Office as he stood next to President Donald Trump, who has tasked him with slashing the size and spending of the federal government.

Trump then signed an order giving Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) more authority to cut the federal workforce. It instructed the heads of government agencies to comply with Doge.

The agency has been criticised by Democrats who have accused it of a lack of transparency, and its efforts have also been hampered by legal challenges.

Doge has, for example, been blocked by a federal judge from accessing treasury records - in a case that seeks to ensure the agency does not interfere with funding signed off by Congress, which is outside Doge's scope.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp820y16xvlo

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