Trump Sought a Smarter Candidate Than Musk for DOGE, Failed

Former President Donald Trump disclosed in a recent interview that he attempted to appoint someone more intelligent than billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk to head the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) but was unable to do so.

During a joint appearance on Fox News’ “Hannity,” Trump explained his reasoning behind considering Musk for the position. “I looked for someone smarter,” he said, but ultimately, he was unsuccessful in identifying a more suitable candidate.

“I searched everywhere. I couldn’t do it,” Trump added, noting that his efforts did not yield a better option. Jokingly, he remarked, “So we settled on this guy.”

Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified that DOGE does not hold statutory authority to terminate federal employees. Speaking to CNN, she explained that the agency primarily serves in an advisory role and does not have independent decision-making power over government staffing. “Final hiring and firing decisions rest with department secretaries,” Leavitt highlighted.

A group of Democratic state attorneys general recently filed a lawsuit alleging that Musk has wielded excessive influence through DOGE, attempting to restructure government operations unilaterally. The lawsuit argues that Musk and his team have been removing entire divisions from federal agencies without proper oversight.

Among concerns raised in the lawsuit is the fact that Musk’s DOGE appointees—including a 19-year-old high school graduate—have gained access to classified Treasury Department records containing personal financial data of millions of Americans.

Efforts by Democratic-led states to halt DOGE’s authority over government staffing were struck down Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan. The plaintiffs had sought an injunction preventing Musk’s team from dismissing federal workers and accessing confidential agency data.

In a separate development, DOGE personnel reportedly clashed with Michelle King, the former acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration, who resigned over the weekend. Additionally, the agency has been tasked by Trump with reviewing the Pentagon’s budget.

According to DOGE, its initiatives have resulted in $55 billion in taxpayer savings since its formation. DOGE’s announcement that $4.7 trillion in federal transactions were categorized as “almost untraceable” has fueled widespread public scrutiny. Online discussions have sparked concerns over transparency, with critics likening the missing funds to vanishing “like a puff of smoke.”