Trump Says Elon Musk ‘Won’t Do Anything Without Our Approval’ Amid Concerns Over His Political Influence

President Donald Trump on Monday said Elon Musk “can’t do and won’t do” anything that does not receive his administration’s approval. His comment came after the X and Tesla boss has been criticized for making sweeping cuts to the U.S. bureaucracy, as part of his new position as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

In particular, Hillary Clinton called out Musk on Monday morning, calling him an “unelected oligarch” who has access to “your Social Security number.”

President Trump, while speaking to reporters as he signed an executive order, said he is not concerned with Musk having too much power.

“He’s got access only to letting people go that he thinks are no good, if we agree with him. And it’s only if we agree with him,” the president clarified. “He’s a very talented guy from the standpoint of management and costs.”

President Trump added: “Elon can’t do and won’t do anything without our approval. And we’ll give him the approval where appropriate; where it’s not appropriate, we won’t.”

Critics have called into question Musk’s role in recent days, after the Treasury Department gave DOGE access to the payment system for government benefits, grants and tax refunds; the system, which is usually run by civil servants, controls trillions of dollars in payments.

Musk last week said he is aiming to cut $1 trillion to $2 trillion in annual government spending. That aggressive goal would represent up to 30% of annual spending, after the federal government spent $6.75 trillion in 2024. He also re-shared an X post on Monday showing DOGE had already cut $1 billion in government spending on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs.

Beyond Clinton, several other prominent politicians and media voices have criticized the billionaire in recent days. That includes Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who said, “We must do everything in our power to push back and protect people.”

“No one elected Elon Musk,” Warren said. “As Donald Trump allows Musk to access people’s personal information and shut down government funding, Republicans in Washington will also own the consequences.”

MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough also ripped Musk on Monday, saying his plan to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) was “stupid.”

Musk opted to return fire against his critics in several X posts on Monday.

“The corrupt politicians ‘protesting’ outside the USAID building are the ones getting money from USAID,” he wrote, while reposting a video of Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin criticizing him. “That’s why they’re there — they want your stolen tax dollars!”

The post Trump Says Elon Musk ‘Won’t Do Anything Without Our Approval’ Amid Concerns Over His Political Influence appeared first on TheWrap.