Elon Musk calls for shutdown of Radio Liberty and Voice of America, takes lead in Pentagon audit

Tech billionaire Elon Musk has called for the shutdown of U.S.-funded media outlets Radio Free Europe (RFE) and Voice of America (VOA), arguing that they are outdated and waste taxpayer money.

His remarks came in response to comments by U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Special Missions Richard Grenell, who criticized the government funding of media organizations, Caliber.Az reports, citing Musk's X account.

"Yes, shut them down. Europe is free now (not counting stifling bureaucracy). Nobody listens to them anymore. It’s just radical left crazy people talking to themselves while torching $1B/year of US taxpayer money," Musk wrote on X on February 9.

Grenell had earlier stated that RFE and VOA were "filled with far-left activists" and labelled them "a relic of the past." He argued that taxpayer funds should not be allocated to state-owned media outlets, reinforcing his longstanding position against government-backed journalism.

Musk, who heads the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has also criticized federal payments to media organizations such as Politico, the Associated Press, and The New York Times. He has reportedly moved to eliminate these subsidies, calling them an inefficient use of public funds.

Musk to lead Pentagon audit

In addition to his media critique, Musk has been tasked by U.S. President Donald Trump to conduct a comprehensive audit of the Pentagon, aiming to uncover what Trump claims could be "hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud and abuse."

"I'm going to tell him very soon, like maybe in 24 hours, to go check the Department of Education. ... Then I'm going to go, go to the military. Let's check the military," Trump said in a Super Bowl interview with Fox News' Bret Baier, an excerpt of which was aired on February 9.

The Pentagon’s budget is nearing $1 trillion per year. In December, then-President Joe Biden signed a bill authorizing $895 billion in defence spending for the fiscal year ending September 30. Critics have long argued that the Pentagon suffers from waste and inefficiency, making it a key target for spending reform efforts.

Musk, who the White House has described as a "special government employee," has been leading an initiative to streamline the federal workforce. As part of this effort, his aides have reportedly sought access to confidential government systems, raising concerns about security and oversight.

Concerns over conflicts of interest

National Security Adviser Mike Waltz suggested that Pentagon procurement, particularly its shipbuilding processes, would be a priority for DOGE’s review. "Everything there seems to cost too much, take too long, and deliver too little to the soldiers," Waltz said in an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press on February 9. "We do need business leaders to go in there and absolutely reform the Pentagon's acquisition process."

However, the move has sparked controversy. Critics argue that Musk’s department lacks the necessary expertise to overhaul the Pentagon and warn that its efforts could expose classified programs. Additionally, concerns over Musk’s business ties to the military have fueled accusations of potential conflicts of interest. His companies, including SpaceX and Tesla, hold significant defence contracts, leading some to question whether his role in the Pentagon review creates ethical dilemmas.

Democrats and civil service unions have pushed back against Musk’s growing influence over federal restructuring efforts, warning that his actions could amount to the dismantling of entire agencies without congressional approval.

By Vugar Khalilov