Former President Donald Trump reflected on his fast-paced initial month back in the Oval Office during a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Saturday afternoon. He highlighted what he called “flagrant scams” revealed by Elon Musk and the newly established Department of Government Efficiency.
“I issued an executive order to create the Department of Government Efficiency — you may not have heard about it — which is currently fighting against government waste, fraud, and abuse. And Elon is doing an exceptional job,” Trump stated at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Oxon Hill, Maryland. “He’s doing a fantastic job.”
Musk is at the helm of DOGE while investigators examine various federal agencies to tackle excessive spending and eliminate fraud. DOGE’s efforts have sparked significant criticism from Democratic lawmakers and government employees, who have initiated several lawsuits aiming to halt the ongoing investigations and audits.
“Let me share some examples of the blatant scams they’ve been funding. For instance, $520 million for a consultant related to environmental, social governance, and investments in Africa,” he remarked.
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President Donald Trump speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference annual meeting in National Harbor, Md., Feb. 22, 2025. (Reuters/Brian Snyder)
“$25 million to encourage biodiversity conservation and socially responsible behavior in Colombia. Just to clarify, this is Colombia, South America, not Columbia University. Not that it could be worse. … $40 million to enhance social and economic inclusion for sedentary migrants.
“$42 million for social and behavior change initiatives in Uganda. $10 million for medical male circumcisions in Mozambique. Why are we going all the way to Mozambique for circumcisions?” Trump inquired as he continued to cite various other expensive taxpayer-funded programs revealed by DOGE.
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Elon Musk speaks during an event in the Oval Office with President Donald Trump at the White House Feb. 11, 2025, in Washington. (AP Images/Alex Brandon)
CPAC is a yearly convergence of conservative politicians, leaders, and constituents, which commenced on Wednesday and concluded on Saturday following Trump’s address.
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Earlier that day, Trump reached out on Truth Social, urging Musk to “be more assertive” with his DOGE initiatives.
“Will do, Mr. President!” Musk replied just hours before Trump’s CPAC address.
Musk further stated on X, “Per President @realDonaldTrump’s guidance, all federal employees will soon receive an email inquiring about their accomplishments from last week. Non-response will be interpreted as resignation.”
“We are uncovering a deeply corrupt group of individuals within this country,” Trump asserted during his speech. “We are removing unnecessary, incompetent, and corrupt bureaucrats from the federal workforce.”
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Trump announced that he and Musk plan to visit Fort Knox in Kentucky to verify the presence of an estimated $425 billion in government gold within the United States Bullion Depository. The Trump administration and Republican allies have advocated for increased transparency regarding the vault.
President Donald Trump addresses the Conservative Political Action Conference annual meeting in National Harbor, Md., Feb. 22, 2025. (Reuters/Brian Snyder)
President Franklin D. Roosevelt visited the vault in 1943, which saw further access granted to journalists and lawmakers in 1974 under Treasury Secretary William Simon, and again during the first Trump administration when Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and members of Congress, including Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, examined the vault.
“We are also going to Fort Knox, and I’m going with Elon. Anyone else want to join us? We want to confirm the gold is still there. We will make sure,” Trump stated.
Fort Knox in Kentucky (Getty Images)
“Imagine the horror if we open it up and discover that Fort Knox is empty. It’s just solid granite that’s five feet thick. It requires six strong men to pull the front door open. I don’t think there are even any windows. Wouldn’t it be awful if we opened it and found no gold present? We are going to open those doors, take a peek. If there are 27 tons of gold inside, we will be very pleased,” he added.
“I have no idea how we’ll measure it, but that’s fine.”
President Donald Trump attends the Conservative Political Action Conference annual meeting in National Harbor, Md., Feb. 22, 2025. (Reuters/Nathan Howard)
Trump concluded his first full month back in the White House this week, marked by a flurry of executive orders and initiatives.
He took a victory lap during his address, highlighting his administration’s efforts to dismantle what he termed the “weaponization” of government from the Biden era, plans to soon enact reciprocal tariffs on foreign trade partners, and celebrations of the deportation of illegal immigrants from communities nationwide.
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“We are liberating communities like Aurora, Colorado, and Springfield, Ohio, that have been overrun by illegal alien criminals from various parts of the globe,” Trump stated.
“We are rescuing the Americans whose jobs have been usurped, whose earnings have been undermined, and whose lives have been wrecked. Under the Trump administration, our nation will not become a dumping ground.”
