The order, signed the same day as Trump’s first Cabinet meeting, directs federal agencies and departments to “use modern technology to transform Federal spending on contracts and grants by subjecting it to rigorous standards.”

The order mandates a federal government-wide review of “all contracts and grants for waste, fraud, and abuse.” It also directs agency heads to make government payments and travel expenses public and justified “where possible.”

WHITE HOUSE DIRECTS FEDERAL AGENCIES TO PREPARE FOR ‘LARGE-SCALE REDUCTIONS’ IN WORKFORCE

“Agency heads will work with the DOGE team leads employed by their agencies to review and terminate all unnecessary contracts,” senior White House officials said of Wednesday’s order.

Furthermore, the president’s directive will require the General Services Administration to submit a plan to sell off or terminate leases for “unnecessary” federal properties or buildings.

Earlier in the day, Trump’s Office of Management and Budget and Office of Personnel Management sent a memo to every federal department and agency directing leadership to prepare for “large-scale reductions” in the federal workforce.

The memo set March 13 and April 14 as deadlines for agency heads to submit two-phased “Agency Reorganization Plans” to the White House, with an implementation date of Sept. 30.

Elon Musk, DOGE’s leader in all but title, was present and introduced himself as the White House’s “tech support” at Trump’s Cabinet meeting Wednesday morning.

DOGE and Musk have publicly clashed with a number of Trump’s Cabinet members, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, regarding an email the department sent to all federal workers last week. The email required federal workers to respond with five bullet points summarizing their weekly accomplishments, with accompanying public claims from Musk that failure to respond would result in termination of employment.

As of Wednesday, two days after DOGE’s Monday deadline, roughly half of the federal workforce had responded. The White House slightly walked back Musk’s comments regarding firings earlier this week, but Musk saw full backing on that venture from the president during Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting.

AMY GLEASON IDENTIFIED AS ACTING DOGE LEADER AFTER WHITE HOUSE INSISTED IT WAS NOT MUSK

“We’re cutting down the size of government. We have to. We’re bloated. We’re sloppy,” Trump said, claiming that federal employees who haven’t responded are “on the bubble.”

“Maybe they’re going to be gone. Maybe they’re not around. Maybe they have other jobs. Maybe they moved, and they’re not where they’re supposed to be. A lot of things could have happened,” the president continued.