Elon Musk’s mission to slash US federal spending for Donald Trump is winning over a surprising cohort in Washington: Democrats who eye a chance to reduce defence spending and cut red tape.
Senior politicians including senators Bernie Sanders and John Fetterman and a growing number of Democratic House members have expressed support for parts of Musk’s government efficiency crusade, which includes a pledge to cut $2tn from annual spending.
“Defence contractors have been fleecing the American people for far too long,” Ro Khanna, a California Democrat whose district includes parts of Silicon Valley, told the Financial Times. Khanna said he was “willing to work with [Musk] to rein in wasteful spending at the Pentagon”.