In an effort to slash government spending, President Trump has asked the world’s richest man, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, to lead his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). In turn, Musk and his team have spent the first few weeks of Trump’s second term waging a largely unchecked war on the federal bureaucracy — an onslaught that was finally challenged Thursday when a dozen states announced they would sue to block DOGE's access to government payment systems containing Americans' personal data.

Since taking office for his second term, President Donald Trump has issued a number of orders which included establishing the Department of Government Efficiency, also known as DOGE. This program, led by Musk, has caused a stir by going through government programs to validate funding.

President Trump said the entity would focus on cutting government waste and slashing federal regulations, and he put tech billionaire and adviser Elon Musk in charge.