Elon Musk teased the next target for his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) crackdown may be the Internal Revenue Service.
The world’s richest man asked his army of X followers in an informal poll whether they would like to see the IRS audited by DOGE, which received a staggering 94.3 percent support.
Musk’s post comes days after Donald Trump vowed to terminate almost 90,000 IRS workers who had been hired under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, a pledge that received huge cheers as he spoke at a rally in Las Vegas.
‘They hired – were trying to hire 88,000 new workers to go with you, and we’re in the process of developing a plan to either terminate all of them or maybe we move them to the border,’ the President said to raucous applause.
‘I think we’re going to move them to the border where they are allowed to carry guns. You know, they’re so strong on guns. But these people are allowed to carry guns. So, we will probably move them to the border.’
Musk’s post was met with widespread support, as just five percent of people said ‘no’ among millions of voters in the poll’s first hours.
If carried out, the IRS would join a growing list of federal agencies and government-funded organizations that have already felt DOGE’s influence in the early days of Trump’s second presidency.
After gutting a raft of government spending in DOGE’s first moves, attention turned this week to the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which Musk branded a ‘criminal organization.’
Elon Musk teased that the next target for his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) crackdown may be the Internal Revenue Service
The world’s richest man asked his army of X followers in an informal poll whether they would like to see the IRS audited by DOGE, which received a staggering 94.3 percent support
The assault on USAID marks a significant escalation in Musk’s reshaping of the federal government, aimed at eliminating what he considers wasteful spending.
DOGE put dozens of senior USAID officials on leave and laid of thousands of contractors in it moves this week, freezing billions in humanitarian aid to other countries.
Trump ordered a freeze on almost all U.S. foreign aid for three months, saying his administration will review spending to ensure money is distributed in line with his ‘America First’ foreign policy.
Musk wrote on X this week that it is ‘time for (USAID) to die’, and said in a separate post: ‘Did you know that USAID, using YOUR tax dollars, funded bioweapon research, including Covid-19, that killed millions of people?’
‘USAID was a viper’s nest of radical-left Marxists who hate America,’ he said in another post.
‘It became apparent that it’s not an apple with a worm it in,’ Musk said in a live session on X Spaces early Monday.
‘What we have is just a ball of worms. You’ve got to basically get rid of the whole thing. It’s beyond repair.’
Trump also attacked the agency on Sunday, claiming it has ‘been run by a bunch of radical lunatics, and we’re getting them out… and then we’ll make a decision (on its future).’
Musk posted a series of tweets on Sunday targeting USAID
Musk’s dismantling of the federal government has triggered protests in Washington, with one woman pictured outside the OPM headquarters after DOGE targeted the agency
Despite some reports of a rift between the pair, Trump underscored his support for Musk, telling reporters on Sunday night he felt the billionaire was ‘doing a good job’ as he guts tens of thousands of jobs.
‘He’s a big cost-cutter. Sometimes we won’t agree with it, or we’ll not go where he wants to go… he’s a smart guy. Very smart. And he’s very much into cutting the budget of our federal government,’ Trump said.
In further plans from DOGE revealed this week, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) found itself in the crosshairs.
Brian Bjelde, a top DOGE lieutenant, informed senior staff at OPM to plan for the loss of 70 percent of internal staff, according to CNN.
OPM leaders were ordered to prepare for an initial 30 percent reduction, which would ultimately grow to 70 percent, according to reports.
‘People around OPM look like they have seen ghost. People are shocked,’ a source told Federal News Network, saying the order has significantly rattled government employees who did not expect to lose their jobs under the Trump administration.
DOGE has also been sending mass emails to federal workers offering them a deferred resignation opportunity that allows individuals to resign from their federal positions by Thursday, February 6 and allow them to receive full pay and benefits until September 30th.
Although the wave of aggressive actions carried out by DOGE have sent shockwaves through Washington, Musk has assembled a small cabal of baby-faced men to carry out the budget cuts.
Musk has assembled a small cabal of baby-faced men to carry out the budget cuts, including Berkeley graduate Gavin Kliger, 25, (left) and Luke Farritor, 23 (right)
The youngest of Musk’s elite squad is Edward Coristine, aged just 19 and a student at Northeastern University in Boston
Also in the elite list of young DOGE budget slashers are (L-R) Akash Bobba, 21, Ethan Shoartran, 22, and Gautier Cole Killian, 24
Musk has taken over and enlisted a troupe of men aged 19-25 – three of whom are believed to still be in college – to fill high-powered engineering roles and cut costs, including this week’s dismantling of foreign aid.
At just 19, Edward Coristine is the youngest of the fresh-faced bunch taking on corporate America and longstanding government institutions.
According to WIRED, he’s been dubbed an ‘expert’ in his field, and specifics about his role aren’t yet clear.
Akash Bobba, 21, Ethan Shaotran, 22, and Luke Farritor, 23, along with Coristine, have reportedly been granted A-suite level clearance for their work, meaning they can work out of the agency’s top floor with access to all physical spaces and IT systems.
Musk’s DOGE has been rapidly growing in power and expanding its remit, most recently securing clearance to access to restricted parts of the General Services Administration buildings and IT systems.
These systems store sensitive data including social security numbers, addresses and contact information.
