Elon Musk and Joni Ernst have been staying connected on DOGE. (Reuters/ Getty Images)
"He literally is taking that and running with it," the Iowa Republican remarked.
She said she simply sends new ideas directly to Musk, and "pretty soon you'll see a tweet out on X."
When asked whether she thought she would ever be working to audit the government with the billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, as well as the owner of X, Ernst laughed, "Never in a million years."
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Protesters descended on the building that once housed USAID. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
On the other hand, Republicans have cheered the initiative. For example, Ernst told Fox News Digital that DOGE's actions so far have been "tremendous."
As for criticisms of how DOGE's staffers are conducting their audit and what information they are gaining access to, the Iowa Republican maintained that it is completely legal in her opinion. "This is the executive branch and they are scrutinizing the executive branch. So, of course, it's legal," she said.
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Joni Ernst is chairwoman of the DOGE caucus. (Reuters)
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"There is nothing in the Constitution that says the president cannot scrutinize the expenditures, especially when those dollars are going to programs that members here in Congress did not anticipate," she noted, referencing jaw-dropping programs being uncovered by DOGE, showing significant money going towards Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), among other initiatives.
Fox News Digital reached out to Musk's DOGE for comment.
Julia Johnson is a politics writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, leading coverage of the U.S. Senate. She was previously a politics reporter at the Washington Examiner.
Follow Julia's reporting on X at @JuliaaJohnson_ and send tips to Julia.Johnson@fox.com.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/senate-doge-chair-says-she-speaks-elon-musk-every-few-days-trump-admin-slashes-spending