The leader of the Department of Government Efficiency was speaking during President Donald Trump’s first Cabinet meeting.
Elon Musk said on Feb. 26 that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) canceled an Ebola prevention effort before it was quickly restored.
“We will make mistakes. We won’t be perfect,” Musk told the first meeting of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet.
“When we make mistakes, we’ll fix it very quickly. So, for example, with USAID, one of the things we accidentally canceled very briefly was Ebola prevention.”
The United States Agency for International Development, or USAID, is an agency that is part of the State Department. Ebola is a severe viral disease that often causes death.
“I think we all want Ebola prevention,” Musk continued. “So we restored Ebola prevention immediately. There was no interruption.”
USAID declined to comment.
A State Department spokesperson, in response to questions about Musk’s remarks, told The Epoch Times that its review of foreign assistance is focused on making sure grants and other funds are going to projects that make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous.
“This is a process. If errors are made, they will be flagged and corrected as needed, while striving to do what’s best for the American people,” the spokesperson said.
Musk told reporters earlier in February that he would make mistakes.
“Some of the things that I say will be incorrect and should be corrected. Nobody’s going to bat a thousand. We will make mistakes, but we’ll act quickly to correct any mistakes,” he said at the time.
DOGE, which Musk is helping lead, has been helping agencies identify and eliminate waste and fraud through layoffs and other measures. Trump has given the team a wide latitude to access systems, help develop hiring plans, and undertake other tasks.
Musk said during the meeting in Washington that the goal is to cut $1 trillion from the federal government’s $7 trillion budget.
“We do need to move quickly if we are to achieve a trillion-dollar deficit reduction,” he said. He added later, “We can do it, and we will do it.”
