WASHINGTON: Tech billionaire Elon Musk, accompanied by his four-year-old son X, was seen in the Oval Office alongside Donald Trump as the US President signed an executive order to continue downsizing the federal workforce.
Musk stood next to the President’s Resolute Desk on Tuesday instructing federal agencies to collaborate with the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to reduce staff and limit new hires.
Standing beside the US Presdient, Musk, who leads DOGE, spoke about the department’s goals but also acknowledged that “some of the things I say will be incorrect,” in response to a question about his previous comments on Gaza, CNN reported.
Musk took the opportunity to defend his actions during a lengthy Q&A session. As Trump watched, Musk, dressed in a black coat and accompanied by his 4-year-old son, X, addressed concerns about potential conflicts of interest, insisting that his business dealings with the government did not interfere with his work at the head of DOGE.
The White House also shared a video of the three on its X social media account. “President Trump, @ElonMusk, and little X in the Oval Office.”
President Trump, @ElonMusk, and little X in the Oval Office 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/zIxS6O0pwX
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 11, 2025
According to ABC News, born in 2020, “Lil X” — as his father calls him, is the youngest son of Musk and Canadian musician Grimes. He has occasionally been spotted alongside Musk in public, including election night, where he was featured in the Trump family photo and was called “a gorgeous, perfect boy” by the president.
The tech tycoon also responded with an emoji after an X user posted on the social media platform a picture of Trump with Musk’s son and John Kennedy Jr. along with former President John F. Kennedy.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 12, 2025
Musk has alsoo recently voiced strong concerns about the US government’s payment systems, revealing troubling ‘inefficiencies’ and potential ‘fraud’ worth over $100 billion every year.
In a post on X, Musk had said that the Treasury Department and his Department of Government Efficiency have reached an agreement changing reporting requirements for all outgoing government payments.
Highlighting key reforms that need to be implemented, he stated, “Require that all outgoing government payments have a payment categorization code, which is necessary in order to pass financial audits. This is frequently left blank, making audits almost impossible.”
“All payments must also include a rationale for the payment in the comment field, which is currently left blank. Importantly, we are not yet applying ANY judgment to this rationale, but simply requiring that SOME attempt be made to explain the payment more than NOTHING!,” he added. (ANI)