Elon Musk’s four-year-old son X Æ A-Xii was seen sitting on his father’s shoulder in the Senate on Thursday as Elon was in the Senate earlier this morning to meet with Senate and House Republicans on the work of his new Department of Government Efficiency. Before the meeting, Elon Musk met with incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune for the first time. “I think we need to make sure we’re spending the public’s money well,” Elon Musk said as he emerged from the meeting holding the hand of his four-year-old child.
Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy’s Department of Government Efficiency has a mandate to cut administrative costs by July 4, 2026. Elon Musk has said he wants to cut at least $2 trillion from the federal budget, which is now about $6 trillion a year. Kasturi and Ramaswamy plan to fire federal staff who don’t show up for office. He also plans to ax some federal departments and agencies outside of Washington.
Musk is expected to speak with members of the Senate DOGE Caucus, led by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) does.
Ernst said his group has already provided “a lot of material” to Musk and DOGE co-chair Vivek Ramaswamy.
Ernst said the Trump administration will be able to “implement” spending cuts through “executive orders” and that Congress will “pick up the legislative end of it.”
Fox News reported that the senators were very impressed with Elon and Vivek’s plans. “I am very impressed with what Elon and Vivek are trying to accomplish,” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital after leaving a DOGE caucus meeting. “I can’t speak to what they’re going to propose, but I’ve known them for a long time, and I think they’re going to do a great job.”
“It shows that many of us are on the same page,” Sen. Ted Budd, RNC, said of Thursday’s chat. “We need government to serve the people again.”