A Single Day Of Trump And Musk’s Cost-Cutting Campaign Remakes Huge Sections Of Government

WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 5: Elon Musk leaves a meeting with House Republicans in the basement of the U.S. Capitol building on March 5, 2025 in Washington, DC. Musk is meeting with Republicans in Congress today to discuss some of the dramatic cuts made, and ones yet to be made, across government agencies by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s campaign of disruption is engulfing the federal government. A series of decisions revealed Friday showed how the turmoil is upending how public servants do their jobs in ways big and small. For example, Environmental Protection Agency officials now need to seek approval from the Department of Government Efficiency for contracts exceeding $50,000, and the Pentagon has choked off the ability of civilian employees to travel for work. The cascading developments are only a fraction of the upheaval that’s taken place since Trump took office. The White House is pushing ahead despite political blowback, including from some Republicans.