The president also said EPA has found "a lot of people that didn't exist" at the agency, but did not elaborate.

The White House told federal agencies to submit plans by March 13 for “large-scale reductions in force,” the first phase of an effort to drastically reduce the size of the US government.

The White House is directing federal agencies to prepare for large-scale layoffs, so-called reductions-in-force (RIF), according to guidance sent out by the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management on Wednesday.

The White House said the head of the Department of Government Efficiency — the wide-ranging federal cost-cutting initiative associated with Elon Musk — is a little-known official named Amy Gleason.

A White House official appeared to finally put to rest questions about who is leading DOGE if it is not Elon Musk.