Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he welcomes Elon Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) at the Department of Defense (DOD) as both look to cut spending. 

Hegseth joined former Fox News colleague Maria Bartiromo for “Sunday Morning Futures,” where he said DOD will be working both independently and alongside DOGE to assess the department’s large budget.

“We need to know when we spend dollars. We need to know where they’re going and why,” Hegseth said. “That’s simple accounting, and that has not existed at the Defense Department.

“We’re going to fix that, but that’s not even DOGE,” he continued. “I mean, we welcome Elon Musk and DOGE coming into our department to help us identify additional ways in which we can streamline processes.” 

Hegseth was one of President Trump’s more controversial nominees, though he was one of the first ones confirmed by the Senate through a tie-breaking vote from Vice President Vance. He has committed to getting the Pentagon to pass a clean audit after the department has failed several in a row. 

He noted that the Marine Corps has passed a clean audit for the last two years, which he applauds, but said it needs to be a department-wide matter. Hegseth also highlighted the country’s debt and said every dollar needs to be spent wisely, particularly for DOD’s mission. 

“So, we welcome DOGE at DOD,” he reiterated. “We will partner with them, and it’s long overdue.” 

Bartiromo asked Hegseth if, as it examines the budget, will the department be modernizing its resources. 

“Modernization is an incredibly important part of what we’re doing at DOD,” he said, later adding that the 2026 fiscal budget will be focused on protecting the country’s borders and skies.