Trump explains why he couldn't find anyone 'smarter' than Musk to lead DOGE

Since Musk took over, DOGE has targeted wasteful spending in federal agencies, backing Trump's push to restructure the government - an effort that has also led to thousands of job cuts

US President Donald Trump revealed details on getting Tesla CEO Elon Musk to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a newly established panel aimed at reducing government expenditure. Accompanied by Musk, Trump told Fox News that they had "looked for somebody smarter" for the role than the Tesla CEO.

 

Trump made the revelation while discussing his reasoning for bringing the world’s richest man into his administration as its top cost-cutting figure. "He’s good... I wanted to find somebody smarter than him. I searched all over. I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t find anyone smarter, right? So, we had to, for the country, settle on this guy," Trump told Fox News.  

 

 

Musk, in response, smiled and said, "Well, thanks for having me."  

 

This interview marked the first time Musk and Trump appeared together on a major television network since the latter’s return to the White House last month.  Also Read: Trump and Musk's Fox interview

 

DOGE's ops under Elon Musk

 

Under Musk, DOGE has aggressively pushed to eliminate excess spending across federal agencies, aligning with Trump’s broader effort to restructure the government — an initiative that has also resulted in thousands of job cuts.

 

However, Democratic-led states and liberal legal groups have filed multiple lawsuits seeking to block DOGE’s access to government systems.

 

Trump’s lighthearted jab at DOGE’s 'fashion'

 

During the interview, Trump praised DOGE’s team for their efforts but also made a lighthearted remark about their fashion choices, suggesting that Musk’s team dressed even more casually than the Tesla CEO himself.  

 

"What [Musk] does is he takes the executive order and, with his hundred geniuses, he's got some very brilliant young people working for him that dress much worse than him, actually," Trump quipped. "They dress in just t-shirts."   

WATCH: President Trump praises DOGE leader @elonmusk as "a very good person" who "really cares for the country" during an exclusive interview with @seanhannity pic.twitter.com/GLeMzeaZRj

— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 19, 2025

  Throughout the discussion, Trump continued to commend Musk, acknowledging that while he had only known him “a little bit” before last year, he admired his resilience. “I wanted great people. And he’s a great person. He’s an amazing person. He’s also a caring person. He’s a good person, a very good person, and he wants the country to do well."  

 

Elon Musk’s role and 'conflict of interest'

 

The President also clarified that Musk would step aside from any DOGE-related decisions where a conflict of interest might arise. “If there’s a conflict, he won’t be involved. I mean, I wouldn’t want that, and he wouldn’t want it.”  

 

Musk, for his part, described Trump’s 2024 election victory as “an opportunity to fix the system."  

 

“The President cared. The President was competent. And so when you add more competence and caring, you get a better deal for the American people.”