Musk makes surprise visit to NSA after publicly calling for 'reform' of top U.S. cyber espionage center
The agency could be next to face DOGE-driven cuts.
Elon Musk in front of the White House
Tycoon Elon Musk, presidential adviser and leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), paid a surprise visit to the National Security Agency (NSA) just days after he wrote in 'X' that the agency needs reform.
According to an NSA spokesman, Musk visited the headquarters of the main U.S. cyberespionage center in Fort Meade, Maryland, and held talks with Air Force General Timothy Haugh, who oversees both the agency and the Army Cyber Command.
Musk's visit, the first to an intelligence agency that has been publicly confirmed, came as the tycoon faces questioning from Democrats and his critics, who accuse him of leading a "messy" and "troubling" effort to reduce the public workforce and the size of the federal government.
Even, in addition to critics, some members of Trump's cabinet and other senior White House officials have been uncomfortable and have expressed their disagreement with the chainsaw strategy implemented by Musk, according to various reports.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Musk's visit suggests that the NSA could be the next agency targeted by DOGE to downsize the government.
Experts acknowledge that the secretive agency, known as the "puzzle palace" for its code-breaking capabilities, is one of the most important U.S. Intelligence agencies because of its oversight of a vast electronic surveillance operation.
According to NBC News, an NSA spokesperson gave more details about Musk's visit, stating that both the NSA and U.S. Cyber Command are focused on meeting the agenda of President Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Director of National Intelligence, and thus meetings with key advisers, such as Elon Musk, "ensure we are aligned."
New legal battles loom
However, despite the Trump Administration's desires to reform the federal government, seeking to cut the deficit in the medium and long term, the layoffs of federal employees are facing strong opposition in the courts, and this Thursday, U.S. District Judge William Alsup ruled against the Trump Administration's decision to lay off probationary employees.
In his ruling, Judge Alsup asserted that the firings "did not comply with the law" and demanded the immediate reinstatement of the terminated employees, dealing another judicial setback to the Trump Administration.
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