President Donald Trump, with Elon Musk by his side, has ordered U.S. agencies to collaborate with Musk’s team to reduce the federal workforce. The initiative aims to identify employees who can be laid off and functions that can be eliminated, as part of an effort to shrink government operations. Musk, who stood beside Trump in the Oval Office with his young son, emphasized his role in targeting government waste, arguing that the federal bureaucracy should be more responsive to the people. Musk defended his position, saying the bureaucracy had become an "unconstitutional" fourth branch of government, wielding more power than elected representatives. Despite criticism about secrecy surrounding his team's actions, Musk explained that he fully expected scrutiny, dismissing concerns that his efforts were part of a non-transparent government takeover. He pointed to Trump’s election as a clear mandate for major government reform, and mentioned that he communicates with the president nearly every day. The new executive order restricts government agencies from hiring more than one new employee for every four workers who leave. It also mandates that agencies work with Musk’s team to identify large-scale staff reductions and potential agency eliminations, with exceptions for critical national security and law enforcement roles. This move follows earlier attempts by the Trump administration to offer buyouts to federal workers, although a federal judge blocked those efforts. Musk and Trump estimate that their efforts could save the government up to $1 trillion by eliminating fraud and inefficiency. Despite concerns over potential conflicts of interest due to Musk’s ties to companies like SpaceX, which has lucrative government contracts, both Musk and Trump dismissed these worries, asserting that Musk’s work would not intersect with areas of concern. The initiative faces legal challenges, particularly from labor unions and the courts, which have halted some of Trump’s previous efforts.