President Donald Trump has made a bold move by appointing tech billionaire Elon Musk to lead an audit of the Pentagon, with the aim of uncovering potential fraud and abuse that could amount to “hundreds of billions of dollars.”

Speaking during a Super Bowl interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, Trump revealed his plans to expand Musk’s oversight from the Department of Education to include the Department of Defense. Trump stated, “We’re going to find billions, hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud and abuse,” pointing to the Pentagon as the target of this audit. With an annual budget nearing $1 trillion, the Pentagon is the largest federal department.

This move comes on the heels of a defense bill signed by former President Joe Biden in December, authorizing $895 billion in defense spending for the current fiscal year.

Musk, who has been designated as a special government employee, will lead efforts to streamline the federal workforce through the newly established Department of Government Efficiency. His team has reportedly been seeking access to sensitive information from various government agencies, raising legal and security concerns.

However, critics have expressed reservations about Musk’s involvement, citing risks such as potential exposure of classified information and unauthorized restructuring of government agencies without congressional approval. Furthermore, Musk’s companies hold significant defense contracts, leading to concerns about conflicts of interest.

National Security Adviser Mike Waltz has identified the Pentagon’s shipbuilding processes as a key area for review. “Everything there seems to cost too much, take too long, and deliver too little to the soldiers,” Waltz remarked on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” emphasizing the urgent need for business leaders to reform the Pentagon’s acquisition processes, particularly in military shipbuilding.

While there is consensus on the need to address waste within the Pentagon, Democrats and civil service unions have cautioned that Musk’s department may lack the necessary expertise to manage complex reforms. They warn that the audit could potentially compromise national security by exposing sensitive defense programs.