Washington, US:
US President Donald Trump gave a big shout out to his adviser Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in his first joint address to Congress. The President referred to Musk as the head of DOGe and said he “didn’t need this”, acknowledging the contribution of the billionaire entrepreneur, who was present in the gallery, in combating inflation and reducing government spending.
“Created the DOGE, perhaps you heard of it… which is headed by Elon Musk, who is in the gallery tonight, thank you Elon, you are working very hard… he didn’t need this… even this side (Democrats) appreciates this, they just don’t want to admit,” he said.
Following this, Musk received a standing ovation for his work on DOGE from Republicans. Democrats, meanwhile, held small black signs with bold white lettering reading “Protect Veterans,” “Save Medicaid,” and “Musk Steals.” Some even raised them higher as Trump began his speech, signaling their dissent.
🚨 BREAKING: President Trump thanked Elon Musk for his contributions to DOGE. The crowd erupted in cheers as the President introduced him.
TRUMP: “Thank you Elon. He is working very hard. He didn’t need this. We appreciate it.” pic.twitter.com/vGlZoT4JcV
— DogeDesigner (@cb_doge) March 5, 2025
“To further combat inflation, we will not only be reducing the cost of energy, but we’ll be ending the flagrant waste of taxpayer dollars,” Trump said, outlining his goal for DOGE.
He went on to acknowledge Musk’s role and said, “DOGE is headed by Elon Musk, who is in the gallery tonight.”
Trump stressed his administration is focusing on economic efficiency, with Musk’s work in technology and innovation playing a key role in those efforts. He said that DOGE has identified “appalling waste” in federal government contracts.
