SCOOP: Inside Elon Musk's meeting with the Senate DOGE Caucus

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FIRST ON FOX: Billionaire Elon Musk, now also a senior adviser to President Donald Trump, met with Senate Republicans in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Caucus on Thursday at the White House to discuss the work they've been doing and to get briefed on DOGE's findings. 

The meeting was led by caucus Chairwoman Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, who has spearheaded efforts to audit and cut bloat in the government for years. 

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Elon Musk

Elon Musk met with members of the Senate DOGE Caucus at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. (Getty Images)

"The Senate DOGE Caucus has hit the ground running to save taxpayer dollars," Ernst told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement. "I was proud to bring my colleagues together to coordinate efforts with Elon, so we can continue to streamline our work. We are just getting started to make government more efficient and protect taxpayers to ensure Washington works for the American people."

The discussion was the first opportunity for senators in the caucus to hear from Musk directly regarding the discoveries he and DOGE have made. 

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The goal of the gathering was to share work between the Senate and Musk's DOGE, and to discuss how they could be most helpful in the legislature, Ernst's office shared with Fox News Digital.

At the White House, Musk told senators that DOGE's work is essential and detailed his plans to create savings, a source familiar told Fox News Digital. 

Joni Ernst

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, is chairwoman of the DOGE Caucus. (Reuters)

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital in a statement, "Everyone is working together as one unified team at the direction of President Trump. Any notion to the contrary is completely false."

According to a White House official, DOGE is moving very fast at the direction of Trump, which they noted is "exactly the point."

For DOGE, efficiency is the name of the game, even internally, they added. 

During the meeting, the senators presented to Musk the various areas that they're already focused on, using a divide and conquer strategy, White House officials said. Some of the Republicans have targeted government spending, while others have sought to address the national debt, concerning flows of money to labs like the Wuhan Institute of Virology and other issues. 

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The senators further talked with Musk about how congressional action could make Washington, D.C., more efficient going forward and protect American taxpayers from funding extravagant projects. 

phone displays DOGE sign in front of Elon Musk photo

Elon Musk leads the Department of Government Efficiency. (Thomas Fuller/SOPA Images/LightRocket)

In attendance at the meeting were Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas; Mike Lee, R-Utah; Rick Scott, R-Fla.; Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.; Steve Daines, R-Mont.; Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska; Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo.; Roger Marshall, R-Kan.; James Risch, R-Idaho; Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio; Mike Crapo, R-Idaho; Jon Husted, R-Ohio; Ron Johnson, R-Wis.; Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa; John Cornyn, R-Texas; Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala.; Tim Sheehy, R-Mont.; Eric Schmitt, R-Mo.; Katie Britt, R-Ala.; Pete Ricketts, R-Neb.; and John Hoeven, R-N.D.

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Musk similarly met with Trump and his Cabinet at the White House on Wednesday.

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.