Elon Musk visits NSA after saying agency needs ‘overhaul’
Tech billionaire and senior President Trump adviser Elon Musk visited the National Security Agency (NSA) this week after calling for an "overhaul" of the agency earlier this month.
Musk, who is spearheading the push to overhaul the federal government and align it with the vision of the president, met with the head of the NSA, Air Force Gen. Timothy Haugh, on Wednesday at the spy agency’s headquarters in Fort Meade, Md., per an agency spokesperson. Haugh also leads the U.S. Cyber Command.
The spy agency’s spokesperson said in an emailed statement to The Hill that the NSA and Cyber Command are “focused on” the priorities set by president, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and that the meetings “with key advisors ensure we are aligned.”
U.S. Cyber Command falls under the Department of Defense and, like the NSA, is located in Fort Meade.
Musk’s visit was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
Musk, the world’s richest person, said in a post on the social platform X last week that the NSA “needs an overhaul,” but he did not outline any specifics.
The meeting is Musk’s first confirmed visit to a spy agency since his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) started cutting funds and slashing the federal government workforce.
During a February Cabinet meeting, Musk said DOGE is “helping fix the government computer systems.”
“Many of these systems are extremely old. They don’t communicate. There are a lot of mistakes in the systems. The software doesn’t work. The — so, we are actually tech support. It’s — it’s a — it’s ironic, but it’s true,” the SpaceX executive stated.
U.S. intelligence agencies have not experienced the administration’s cost-cutting efforts to the same extent as the Department of Education and Veterans Affairs, for example.
However, similar to the CIA, the NSA has offered buyouts to some workers, The Associated Press reported.
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