Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth previously said he would welcome the Department of Government Efficiency and Elon Musk to the Pentagon.

The Defense Department has temporarily paused a plan to carry out mass firings of civilian probationary employees until Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and the Pentagon’s Office of General Counsel can carry out a more thorough review of the impacts such firings could have on US military readiness,

The pause comes after Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth directed the military services to identify $50 billion in programs that could be cut next year.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth blasted reports of spending cuts taking place at the Pentagon, saying they are actually “refocusing” their existing budget “away from Biden priorities.” Hegseth’s Department of Defense is expected to be a prime target for the Department of Government Efficiency’s grand government efficiency plans.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered military officials to find $50 billion in budget cuts for fiscal year 2026 to be redirected to align with President Trump's priorities for the department, the Pentagon said Wednesday.

A senior Pentagon official said that money saved through the cuts could be “realigned” to other defense priorities that President Donald Trump has.