White House says some employees were fired by mistake

Trump was asked about the recent court orders that temporarily blocked DOGE's actions, including budget and personnel cuts.

The president said he'll "always abide by the courts," but would appeal the decision.

"But appeals take a long time and I hope if you show a judge a corrupt check, I hope a judge would say 'Give it back to the taxpayers,'" Trump said.

Musk was asked to elaborate on fraud he sees in the U.S. Treasury, but he didn't give a direct answer.

"The stuff we're doing with Treasury is so basic, it's hard to believe it hasn't happened already. Like payment categorization codes," he claimed without providing further details.

-ABC News' Michelle Stoddart

While speaking in the Oval Office alongside the president, Musk spoke on checks and balances and assured reporters that all of DOGE’s actions are “fully transparent." He added that if there’s a conflict, people will say so.

“All of the things we're doing are very simple and basic,” Musk said. “At Treasury, it's about having sensible checks and balances in the system to make sure taxpayer money is spent well.”

Trump said that there are a lot of kickbacks and Musk agreed.

The president also weighed in regarding the legal battles their efforts have faced, referencing “fraud and abuse” they have uncovered and that an “activist judge” wants to stop them.

"And I hope the court system lets us do what we're going to do," Trump said.

When asked about criticism that Musk is taking over the government, the billionaire said Trump ran on reform and “that’s what democracy is all about.”

-ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi postponed his trip to Washington, D.C., indefinitely, Egyptian media reported Tuesday.

-ABC News' Ayat Al-Tawy

Musk spoke with the U.S. media for the first time since Trump's inauguration, claiming that the goal of DOGE was to "restore democracy."

Musk argued that we have to "fix the feedback loop" so that the bureaucracy is not in charge so that the bureau is responsive to the people. Musk said that the country was going bankrupt.

"It's not optional to reduce federal expenses, it's essential," Musk said.

Musk said DOGE is exploring federal employees who had high net worths despite their low pay and it's working on making "categorization codes" for the federal government.

He also said that it could take up to a year to get on the "do not pay list."

-ABC News' Michelle Stoddart