Rep Gill and CNN Anchor Clash Over DOGE and Elon Musk's Role in Government Spending

Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, and CNN host Pamela Brown engaged in a tense debate regarding the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Elon Musk's involvement in monitoring government expenditures on Thursday.

Brown initiated the discussion by questioning what Elon Musk is specifically doing within the federal government alongside his tech team in relation to DOGE.

Gill asserted that DOGE's mission, directed by President Donald Trump, reflects a clear mandate from the American electorate, who supported Trump in the 2024 election.

“The American people delivered President Trump a very clear mandate to root out waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government,” Gill stated. He emphasized that the discussion around Musk's participation is not a new phenomenon, acknowledging that it aligns with Trump's goals of eliminating unnecessary spending.

In November, Trump expressed that Musk's involvement with DOGE would focus on “dismantling government bureaucracy, slashing excess regulations, cutting wasteful expenditures, and restructuring federal agencies.”

The CNN host continued to demand specifics on the tasks Musk and his staff are engaged in, as well as their access to government systems and the handling of confidential data.

Gill reassured that “Elon Musk and his team are not acting as outside advisors,” highlighting that they possess security clearances and adhere to federal laws throughout their activities. “They’re doing this entirely above board,” he added.

Gill also cited instances of what he perceives as wasteful spending identified by DOGE. For example, he mentioned that DOGE revealed significant funds were funneled towards transgender activism in South America and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion scholarships in Burma, expenditures that he claimed many Americans were unaware of until now.

Brown shifted the conversation to House Republicans voting against a subpoena for Musk on Wednesday, which Gill described as “political theatrics.” He questioned the lack of Democrat initiative to invite Musk to the Oversight Committee’s hearing.

“Democrats can play political games, but Republicans are focused on rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse from our federal government and doing real substantive work to save American taxpayer dollars,” Gill argued.

He further criticized federal funding, stating the government allocates “over $500 million every single year to fund state-sponsored media like NPR and PBS to promote left-wing values that are utterly antithetical to the American experience.” Brown responded, “It’s journalism,” and remarked that they could agree to disagree on that topic.