Former U.S. President Donald Trump has called Elon Musk his “enforcer-in-chief,” thanking the tech mogul for assisting in enforcing his sweeping executive orders at record speed.
The two complemented each other in a shared Fox News interview, dismissing criticism of Trump’s aggressive use of executive power.
Since returning to office, Trump has signed numerous executive orders, some of which are being litigated in court.
Musk, Trump’s biggest 2024 election donor, now leads the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is tasked with eliminating “waste, fraud, and abuse” from federal spending.
“One of DOGE’s biggest jobs is making sure executive orders actually get done,” Musk said. Trump echoed this, saying that bureaucratic resistance tends to delay orders, but that Musk has made it a priority. “Some guy who didn’t want to do it—now he’s signing it,” Trump joked.
The interview was aired hours after Trump signed a measure expanding White House control over regulatory agencies, compelling institutions like the SEC to submit proposals for vetting.
The action is faulted as undermining independent agencies, but Musk justified his moves, claiming that he is only assisting Trump’s agenda.
“The president is the voice of the people,” Musk said. “If the bureaucracy is blocking him, then we don’t have a democracy—we have a bureaucracy.”
Responding to rumors that someone else might actually be in charge, Trump dismissed any split. “They’re trying to drive us apart,” he said about the media. “The people are smart. They get it.”
