In an interview with Maria Bartiromo on Fox News’s Sunday Morning Futures, former President Donald Trump discussed the national debt and his tax proposals, stating that the issue would be tackled through economic growth. Bartiromo then shifted the conversation toward government spending, asking Trump which federal agencies he would eliminate if elected for a second term.
Trump deferred the question to Elon Musk, suggesting Musk would be better suited for cutting government costs.
“You’ve also said that there’s a lot of fat in government that you would want to trim,” Bartiromo began. “So, what agencies would you want to shut down?”
“Let me have you ask another person that, because I’m going to have Elon Musk. He is dying to do this. You know, he’s a great business guy. You think of him for science and rockets,” Trump said, before mentioning Musk’s latest innovations. “He’s developed a new screw. Screws are difficult. It’s made out of titanium, and it’s so exciting.”
Trump continued to praise Musk’s business acumen and cost-cutting ability: “He’s a great business guy, and he’s a great cost-cutter. You’ve seen that. And he said, ‘I could cut costs without affecting anybody.’”
When Bartiromo asked if Musk would have a position in Trump’s Cabinet, Trump replied, “Not in the Cabinet. He doesn’t want to be in the Cabinet; he just wants to be in charge of cost-cutting. We’ll have a new position: Secretary of Cost Cutting. OK? Elon wants to do that.”
Trump has emphasized his intent to reduce the size of government, with the Department of Education being a key target for elimination. He also hinted at Musk’s future responsibilities beyond cost-cutting, adding, “And besides that, I want him to send a rocket up to Mars. He’s made me a promise, he’ll get to Mars before the end of my administration.”
Earlier in the interview, Trump brought up Musk’s recent endorsement of his campaign. “We have the endorsement of Elon, as you know,” Trump said. “Elon Musk, who’s great. He’s a great guy. He had such a good time. He put the black hat on.”
“Dark MAGA,” Bartiromo chimed in.
“He calls it Dark MAGA,” Trump confirmed. “How cool is that? He’s out campaigning in Pennsylvania today. He’s actually campaigning because he says if we don’t win, we’re not going to have a country.”
