As Elon Musk takes charge of the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), created to advise the White House on optimizing federal spending, the F-35 stealth jet program has become a key target of his criticism.
Over the weekend, the Tesla CEO and a surrogate for Donald Trump criticized the fighter jet program on his social media platform, X, calling it outdated and inefficient compared to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
“Meanwhile, some idiots are still building manned fighter jets like the F-35,” Musk posted, alongside a video showcasing synchronized Chinese drones in action.
Musk’s critique aligns with his and DOGE co-leader Vivek Ramaswamy‘s push for sweeping federal spending reforms. Their ambitious goal of cutting at least $2 trillion from the federal budget has put the Pentagon under particular scrutiny.
The F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, developed by Lockheed Martin, is the Department of Defense’s most expensive and ambitious weapons program. While hailed as critical …