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The CIA has confirmed that Elon Musk will meet with Director John Ratcliffe to discuss cost-cutting measures and streamlining operations within the intelligence community.
Some shit you should know before you read: If you’re unaware, Elon Musk is a defense contractor who holds multiple high-level contracts with both the Department of Defense and the CIA through his companies, including SpaceX and Starlink. He provides secure satellite communications, launch services, and classified technology support. In his role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Musk has met with leaders of key federal agencies—including the Pentagon, Department of Education, USAID, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau—to identify and eliminate what he calls “waste, fraud, and abuse.” So far, DOGE has overseen the near-total dismantling of USAID, significant workforce reductions at the CFPB, and cuts at the Pentagon. Some have praised Musk’s actions, while others argue his conflicts of interest are unprecedented and he shouldn’t be involved.
What’s going on now: First reported by Politico, the upcoming meeting between Musk and Director Ratcliffe is set to take place on Monday at CIA headquarters. A CIA spokesperson stated that Director Ratcliffe invited Musk “to meet with him at the Agency to discuss government efficiency.” The meeting is expected to focus on potential cost-cutting measures within the CIA, aligning with Musk’s ongoing mission to identify and eliminate inefficiencies across the federal government through DOGE.
Musk’s visit to the CIA follows recent meetings with other intelligence and defense leaders, including at the National Security Agency, as DOGE continues to review staffing, operational budgets, and procurement systems.
The meeting also comes amid internal upheaval, as the CIA has already dismissed a number of probationary staff and new hires this month—part of a wave of cuts across federal agencies.
Musk stepping down?: Musk, meanwhile, has confirmed he plans to step down from his government role at the end of May, once his 130-day term as a special government employee concludes. Speaking on Fox News, he expressed confidence that DOGE would meet its goal of saving $1 trillion in federal spending by that time. He said, “I think we’ll accomplish most of the work required to reduce the deficit by a trillion dollars within that time frame.”
