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President Donald Trump celebrated his whirlwind archetypal 4 weeks backmost successful the Oval Office successful a code earlier the Conservative Political Action Conference Saturday afternoon, mentioning what helium called "flagrant scams" uncovered by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency.
"I signed an bid creating the Department of Government Efficiency — you astir apt haven't heard of it — which is present waging warfare connected authorities waste, fraud and abuse. And Elon is doing a large job," Trump said astatine the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center Saturday successful Oxon Hill, Maryland, conscionable extracurricular the nation's capital. "He's doing a large job."
Musk is starring DOGE arsenic investigators scrutinize assorted national agencies successful an effort to curb authorities overspending and stamp retired fraud. DOGE's enactment has go a lightening rod for disapproval among Democratic lawmakers and authorities employees, who person filed a fig of lawsuits attempting to extremity the investigations and audits.
"Here are immoderate of the flagrant scams that, arsenic an example, they've spent wealth on, and we've been capable to recapture a ample dose of it astatine least. Five 100 and 20 cardinal dollars for a advisor … [on] environmental, societal governance and investments successful Africa," helium said.
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"Twenty-five cardinal dollars to beforehand biodiversity conservation and socially liable behaviour successful Colombia. This is Colombia, South America, not Columbia University. Of course, that mightiness beryllium worse. … Forty cardinal to amended the societal and economical inclusion of sedentary migrants.
"Forty-two cardinal for societal and behaviour alteration successful Uganda. Ten cardinal for Mozambique aesculapian antheral circumcisions. Why are we going to Mozambique to bash circumcisions?" Trump asked, earlier continuing to rattle disconnected a fistful of different pricey initiatives funded by taxpayers uncovered by DOGE.
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CPAC is an yearly league of conservative lawmakers, leaders and voters, which kicked disconnected connected Wednesday and wraps up Saturday aft Trump's speech.
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Earlier successful the day, Trump sent a connection connected his Truth Social level calling connected Musk to "get much aggressive" with his DOGE work.
"Will do, Mr. President!" Musk responded conscionable a fewer hours up of Trump's CPAC speech.
Musk aboriginal added connected X, "Consistent with President @realDonaldTrump’s instructions, each national employees volition soon person an email requesting to recognize what they got done past week. Failure to respond volition beryllium taken arsenic a resignation."
"We person a precise corrupt radical of radical successful this country, and we're uncovering them out," Trump said during his speech. "We're removing each of the unnecessary, incompetent and corrupt bureaucrats from the national workforce."
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Trump said helium and Musk volition caput to Fort Knox successful Kentucky to guarantee the United States Bullion Depository inactive houses a reported $425 cardinal successful authorities gold. The Trump medication and Republican allies person called for much transparency astir the vault.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt visited the vault successful 1943, which was followed by Treasury Secretary William Simon opening the vault to journalists and lawmakers successful 1974 and again during the archetypal Trump medication erstwhile Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and lawmakers, including Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, inspected the vault.
"We are besides going to Fort Knox. I'm going to spell with Elon. And would anybody similar to articulation us? Because we privation to spot if the golden is inactive there. We privation to see," Trump said.
"Wouldn't that beryllium terrible? We unfastened [it] up, and this Fort Knox has got nothing. It's conscionable coagulated granite that's 5 feet thick. The beforehand door, you request six musclemen to unfastened it up. I don't adjacent deliberation they person windows. Wouldn't that beryllium unspeakable if we opened it up and determination was nary golden there? So, we're going to unfastened those doors, we're going to instrumentality a look. And if there's 27 tons of gold, we'll beryllium precise happy," helium added.
"I don't cognize however the hellhole we'll measurement it, but that's OK."
Trump ended his archetypal afloat period backmost successful the White House this week, which has included a breakneck gait of enforcement orders and actions.
He took a triumph thigh for his whirlwind archetypal month, touting successful his code the administration's enactment to extremity the "weaponization" of the authorities nether the erstwhile Biden administration, his program to soon enforce reciprocal tariffs connected overseas trading partners and celebrating the deportation of amerciable immigrants from communities crossed the nation.
"We're liberating communities similar Aurora, Colorado, and Springfield, Ohio, that person been occupied by amerciable alien criminals from each implicit the world," Trump said.
"We're rescuing the Americans whose jobs person been stolen, whose wages person been robbed and whose mode of beingness has been perfectly destroyed. And, under the Trump administration, our state volition not beryllium turned into a dumping ground."
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