Elon Musk on Tuesday defended his Department of Government Efficiency’s efforts to slash federal agencies as President Trump signs an executive order expanding its reach to fire workers.

Standing in the Oval Office next to the Resolute Desk where Mr. Trump was seated, Mr. Musk pushed back on critics and federal judges who have complained that DOGE is executing “a hostile takeover” of the U.S. government.

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

Mr. Musk said the U.S. government has slowly turned into a bureaucracy instead of a democracy because unelected civil servants are the ones making decisions and deciding where federal dollars are headed.

“We have an unelected fourth, unconstitutional branch of the government, which has, in a lot of ways, currently has more power than any elected representative. This is not something that people want and it does not match the will of people,” he said.

Mr. Musk’s appearance in the Oval Office was to deliver a rebuke against Democrats and allied groups who have held rallies at the doors of agencies impacted by DOGE.

Democrats have held rallies and press conferences blasting Mr. Musk as an “unelected billionaire” and have introduced legislation to limit the Trump administration’s effort to eliminate agencies and reduce the size of the federal workforce.

Mr. Musk said DOGE has already uncovered examples of federal employees accruing millions of dollars in revenue, despite having salaries in the low six figures. He said that’s worth investigating.

“Mysteriously, they get wealthy. We don’t know why. Where did it come from? And I think the reality is that they’re getting wealthier on taxpayers’ expense. That’s the honest truth of it,” he said.

Mr. Musk also dismissed concerns about his own alleged conflicts of interest because six of his businesses are under investigation by federal regulatory agencies, and other businesses have government contracts.

He told reporters that he’s trying to be as transparent as possible, adding that “transparency is what builds trust.”

Mr. Musk’s remarks came moments after Mr. Trump signed an executive order requiring agencies to cooperate with DOGE to slash their workforces and limit the hiring of replacements.

The order requires the heads of federal agencies to “coordinate and consult with DOGE” to shrink the size of the federal workforce and limit hiring to essential positions,” according to a White House document. It also directs the Office of Personnel Management to develop new rules for federal worker conduct.

Under the order, agencies are directed to limit hiring by filing just one position for every four employees who leave federal service, to plan for “large-scale reductions” in force by determining what functions can be eliminated or combined.

The order does not apply to “national security, public safety, law enforcement, and immigration enforcement.”

• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.