An agency spokesperson confirmed the visit in a statement to The Epoch Times.
Elon Musk, who is heading the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), visited the National Security Agency (NSA) on March 12, one week after saying the intelligence agency “needs an overhaul.”
NSA Director Gen. Timothy Haugh, who is also the commander of the U.S. Cyber Command (CYBERCOM), hosted Musk during his first visit to the agency on Wednesday, an NSA spokesperson told The Epoch Times.
The visit was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
“NSA and CYBERCOM are focused on the President, [secretary of defense], and [director of national intelligence’s] priorities; meetings with key advisors ensure we are aligned,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
Through DOGE, Musk is leading the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce the size of government and make sure each agency’s mission is in line with the president’s “America First” vision, an objective the president has emphasized in multiple executive orders.
DOGE has examined spending at multiple agencies since late January, and Musk had suggested his team would eventually target the Department of Defense, which houses the NSA. It’s not clear if Musk’s visit involved any discussions to slash spending or pursue staff reductions at the agency.
DOGE did not respond to a request for comment by publication time.
On March 6, Musk wrote in a post on his social media platform X that “The NSA needs an overhaul.” He didn’t offer specifics but shared a photo from the agency showing its upcoming university campus tour, which is set for next month.
The NSA is a combat support agency within the Defense Department. Its analysts, linguists, engineers, and other personnel provide intelligence and cybersecurity support to military operations, including in combat zones. NSA’s cybersecurity team maintains secure military communications and data to keep them out of the hands of U.S. adversaries.
The agency also provides wireless and wired secure communications to active-duty military personnel around the world.
Musk’s meeting with the NSA further highlights the tech CEO’s significant role as a special government employee and adviser to Trump.
Musk has said a large part of DOGE’s tasks are aimed at modernizing federal technological systems, which Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy welcomed in broader efforts to upgrade and overhaul America’s outdated air traffic control systems.
Thus far, DOGE has recommended the firings of thousands of federal workers and has worked to cut billions in spending.
Musk told Fox Business’s Larry Kudlow on Monday that he plans the double the size of DOGE’s staff as it works its way through federal departments.
“We’re trying to act broadly across all departments, so it’s not just one department at a time,” Musk said.
Kudlow asked if that meant DOGE was present in all federal agencies.
“Pretty much, yeah,” Musk said.