Elon Musk faces 1st questions on DOGE’s transparency as he joins Trump in Oval Office
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(WASHINGTON) — Elon Musk joined President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Tuesday, where he addressed reporters for the first time amid his controversial cost-cutting efforts across the federal government.
Musk defended DOGE as Trump asked him to speak about the team’s work. The Tesla billionaire brought his young son “X” and was wearing a black “Make America Great Again” hat.
“If there’s not a good feedback loop from the people to the government and if you have rule of the bureaucrat, or if the bureaucracy is in charge, then what meaning does democracy actually have?” said Musk, who is an unelected official himself.
Musk had not faced questions since taking the lead on Trump’s mandate to dismantle federal agencies. The White House has said he is classified as a “special government employee” and it’s unclear to whom he is accountable to, other than Trump.
ABC News Senior Political Correspondent Rachel Scott pressed Musk on what checks he faces and whether he is policing himself. Musk in response claimed his actions are “fully transparent.”
DOGE has faced early setbacks from the courts, with a federal judge temporarily blocking Musk and his team from accessing Treasury Department material, including sensitive information such as the Social Security numbers and bank account information of millions of Americans.
The administration and some key Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, have criticized the court action against DOGE. Johnson earlier Tuesday said the courts should “step back” and let DOGE work.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(WASHINGTON) — Longtime Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell announced on Thursday he will not seek reelection next year.
McConnell, who turned 83 today, was largely expected to end his Senate tenure at the conclusion of his term in January 2027 but made it official in a floor speech in which he reflected on his decades-long political career.
“Seven times my fellow Kentuckians have sent me to the Senate. Every day in between I have humbled by the trust they place in me to do their business, right here,” he said. “Representing our commonwealth has been the honor of a lifetime.”
“I will not seek this honor for an eighth time,” he continued. “My current term in the Senate will be my last.”
The Kentucky lawmaker stepped down from his role as party leader last year after a record-breaking 18 years atop the GOP conference.
McConnell said Thursday that serving in the role was “a rare and, yes, rather specific childhood dream” come true.
Since ending his tenure as leader, McConnell has distinguished himself as one of few Republican senators willing to challenge President Donald Trump. He has voted against three of Trump’s Cabinet nominees so far, more than any other GOP lawmaker in the body.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(WASHINGTON) — At his address to a joint session of Congress Tuesday, President Donald Trump is expected to face dozens of civil servants fired from their positions across the executive branch as congressional Democrats make a concerted effort to bring terminated bureaucrats as their guests.
Of his five guests, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., invited two fired federal workers, including a USAID worker and a disabled Army veteran.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin, who will deliver the Democratic response to Trump’s address, is bringing Andrew Lennox, who was fired from his administrative position at the Department of Veterans Affairs last month without notice. Lennox served as a Marine in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria.
Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona invited Kyle Rahn, a disabled Army veteran who served three tours in Iraq before working at the Department of Homeland Security, from which he was fired last month.
Democratic Rep. Brad Schneider of Illinois invited Adam Mulvey, a 20-year Army veteran who served several tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and was fired from his role at Lovell Federal Health Care Center in Spring Grove, Illinois, on Feb. 13.
The dynamic is sure to create tension in the chamber as the president looks to highlight his administration’s actions over his first 44 days in office.
While ABC News has confirmed that Elon Musk, who Trump has empowered to slash the federal workforce and budgets, is expected to attend, it’s not yet known whether he’s a guest of the first lady or a member of Congress or the precise circumstances of his attendance.
Several lawmakers are also bringing guests related to the Israel-Hamas war, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, who has invited Noa Argamani, who was released by Hamas after 245 days in captivity. Schumer also invited Orna Neutra, whose daughter Omer was killed in captivity by Hamas.
Iowa Republican Rep. Mary Miller-Meeks is bringing Riley Gains, the former All-American swimmer at the University of Kentucky who has been at the forefront of the effort to defend women’s sports and advocate for policies that protect female athletes.
Some Democrats are opting to invited constituents who rely on Medicaid and are worried that the GOP’s budget reconciliation plans could impact their benefits. There also appear to be a significant group of farmers invited to attend the address.
(WASHINGTON) — Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told food industry leaders in a closed-door meeting on Monday that he wants them to remove artificial color additives from their products by the end of his time in office, according to a memo describing the meeting, which was obtained by ABC News.
At the Washington gathering, which included the CEOs of Kellogg’s, Smucker’s and General Mills, Kennedy said it is a top priority of the Trump administration to rid America’s food of the artificial dyes, wrote Melissa Hockstad, president and CEO of the Consumer Brands Association, a trade group, who penned the memo.
Hockstad addressed the memo to “Consumer Brands Member CEOs.”
“The Secretary made clear his intention to take action unless the industry is willing to be proactive with solutions,” Hockstad wrote.
Kennedy has long championed removing artificial coloring from America’s food, and the effort has become a pillar of the “Make America Healthy Again” movement.
In January, the Food and Drug Administration revoked its authorization of one type of red food dye — Red No. 3. The dye is known to cause cancer in laboratory animals but was allowed to be used by manufacturers for years because scientists didn’t believe it raised cancer risk in humans at the level typically consumed.
The FDA, under then-President Joe Biden, acted after longtime pressure by consumer advocates.
But a different type, Red No. 40, remains on the market and hasn’t been studied by the FDA in more than 20 years. FDA and health officials said there is no evidence though that it is harmful, and food manufacturers said they need to be able to rely on ingredients generally recognized as safe.
In the memo, Hockstad said her association will work with HHS leaders about removing “roadblocks” so food companies can help meet Kennedy’s goal.
“We will be working with your teams to gain as much alignment as possible about how we move forward and ensure the industry is positioned in the best possible way as we navigate next steps forward,” she wrote. “But to underscore, decision time is imminent.”
A spokeswoman for the Consumer Brands Association confirmed the authenticity of the letter, which was first reported by Bloomberg, but did not provide further comment.
The spokeswoman provided ABC News with a copy of a thank-you letter Hockstad sent Kennedy after the meeting.
“The industry is committed to delivering safe, affordable and convenient product choices to consumers,” she wrote. “We will engage with you and the administration on solutions to improve transparency, ensure ingredient evaluations are grounded in a science and risk-based process and increase healthier options for consumers.”
Vani Hari, an activist and founder of Food Babe and Truvani who delivered 400,000 petition signatures to the Michigan headquarters for Kellogg’s last year asking the company to remove artificial food dyes, applauded Kennedy.
“I have been working on this issue for over a decade and I am thrilled Secretary Kennedy laid out an ultimatum,” Hari told ABC News in a statement.
“These food companies have already reformulated their products without dyes in so many countries, now it’s time for them to do the same in America. Americans deserve the same safer foods other countries get,” she continued.
