Senate Republicans defend Musk's moves
Senate Republicans defended the Trump administration’s sweeping revamp of USAID, led by Elon Musk. But, some lawmakers tried to downplay the billionaire’s power over the president.
"In terms of any decisions made, those are made by the president or the secretary,” Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., told ABC News. “If Musk wants to make recommendations, wants to go and say, you know, 'We ought to cancel this, we ought to cancel that,' that's fine."
Hawley dismissed Musk's framing that he has more authority, calling it "a form of self-promotion."
Other GOP lawmakers defended the administration’s decision to gut a congressionally appropriated agency.
“My message to my Democratic friends and to the tofu-eating 'wokerati' at USAID is, ‘I hear your question, but you need to call somebody who cares,'" Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana told reporters.
Sen. Thom Tillis R-N.C., told ABC News he doesn't have any concerns about Musk's role in the federal government.
"Everybody is acting like Congress doesn't exist anymore. Many of the things he's thinking about will require congressional approval to actually structurally change them," he claimed, adding that reporters are asking questions about "the old way of doing things."
"We've got oversight. If it goes too far I'll be the first person to step up he went too far," Tillis added.
-ABC News' Jay O'Brien, Rachel Scott, Allison Pecorin, Isabella Murray and Lalee Ibssa
