Trump Says He May Consider Vote Of Congress For Doge, ‘always’ Follows Judicial Rulings

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he might consider congressional approval for his Department of Government Efficiency’s spending cuts and would abide by court decisions while the so-called department’s chief, Elon Musk, pushed back on characterizations that his slashing of the government constituted a “hostile takeover.”

Musk, donning a black MAGA hat, stood with his young son behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office as Trump signed an executive order, which reportedly instructs agencies to significantly cull the federal workforce, further empowering DOGE in its unprecedented razing of the bureaucracy, according to Semafor.

He called his gutting of the federal workforce “common sense,” not “draconian,” and complained that the bureaucracy is an “unelected” and “unconstitutional” fourth branch of government.

The promises come amid concerns that the agency run by Musk, the world’s richest man, and an unelected team that reports to him, is ignoring congressional spending laws, while Vice President JD Vance has suggested the administration may ignore unfavorable court rulings.

“If I need a vote of Congress to find fraud and abuse, it’s fine with me,” Trump said, adding that he thought the vote would be “very easy.”

Despite Trump’s statement that he might request congressional approval, he has faced little pressure from Republicans who control Congress to seek it, as they have so far been content to cede their authority to Musk.

The president added that he “always” abides by judicial rulings — but also suggested “maybe we have to look at the judges,” in reference to those who have ruled against DOGE.

Musk pushed back on critics who say DOGE’s actions have constituted a “hostile takeover,” saying they are neither “draconian” nor “radical.”

“The people voted for major government reform and that’s what the people are going to get,” Musk said, adding: “That’s what democracy is all about.”

The billionaire, whose companies have billions of dollars in federal contracts, also rejected concerns that his power over the government presents conflicts of interest. Musk’s companies have billions of dollars in federal government contracts while his car business has benefited from tax incentives.

“I don’t know a case where an organization has been more transparent than the DOGE organization,” Musk said. “I certainly expect to be scrutinized nonstop and get a daily proctology exam, basically.”

Trump has already been trying to shrink the federal workforce — instituting a hiring freeze, mandatory in-person work policies and a blanket “buyout” program to incentivize career public employees to resign. And last week, DOGE moved to dismantle the United States Agency for International Development, placing on leave about 10,000 staffers.