President Donald Trump "100 percent" disagrees with a federal judge's ruling on Saturday that bars the Department of Government Efficiency from accessing the Treasury Department, he said during an exclusive interview with Fox News' Bret Baier.
"Nineteen states attorneys general filed a lawsuit, and early Saturday a judge agreed with them to restrict Elon Musk and his government efficiency team, DOGE, from accessing Treasury Department payment and data systems. They said there was a risk of ‘irreparable harm.’ What do you make of that? And does that slow you down and what you want to do?" Baier asked Trump in the interview clip.
"No, I disagree with it 100%. I think it's crazy. And we have to solve the efficiency problem. We have to solve the fraud, waste, abuse, all the things that have gone into the government. You take a look at the USAID, the kind of fraud in there," Trump responded.
U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of New York Paul Engelmayer, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, issued a temporary restraining order Saturday that sided with 19 Democratic state attorneys general who claimed that giving DOGE "full access" to the Treasury’s payment systems violates the law. The lawsuit was spearheaded by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
JUDGE'S 'HOPELESSLY AMBIGUOUS' ORDER BARRING DOGE FROM TREASURY SPARKS CONCERN BESSENT MAY ALSO BE LOCKED OUT
Fox News host Bret Baier will sit down with President Trump for an interview on Super Bowl Sunday. (Fox New)
The judge's sweeping order, issued Saturday, bars DOGE from accessing the Treasury system until at least Feb. 14, when Engelmayer scheduled a hearing to revisit the matter.
The language of the order specifically bars "political appointees, special government employees, and any government employee detailed from an agency outside the Treasury Department access to Treasury Department payment systems or any other data maintained by the Treasury Department containing personally identifiable information." Trump, Secretary Scott Bessent and the U.S. Treasury are named as defendants in the case.
FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS ELON MUSK'S DOGE FROM ACCESSING TREASURY RECORDS AFTER DEMOCRATIC AGS FILE LAWSUIT
President Trump speaks (Fox News)
Musk, Vice President JD Vance and other conservatives aligned with Trump have slammed the order.
"If a judge tried to tell a general how to conduct a military operation, that would be illegal. If a judge tried to command the attorney general in how to use her discretion as a prosecutor, that's also illegal. Judges aren't allowed to control the executive's legitimate power," Vance posted to X on Sunday of the order.
Elon Musk is leading the Department of Government Efficiency. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Trump spoke with Baier in an exclusive interview with Fox News ahead of the Super Bowl, which Trump will attend. The pair discussed the president's long love of sports and football, as well as politics and DOGE.
"We're talking about hundreds of millions of dollars of money that's going to places where it shouldn't be going," Trump said when asked about what DOGE has found while auditing federal agencies in search of government overspending, fraud and corruption.
PRESIDENT TRUMP PREDICTS ELON MUSK WILL FIND 'HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS' IN WASTE IN NEXT DOGE DIRECTIVES
"Where if I read a list, you'd say, this is ridiculous, and you've read the same list and there are many that you haven't even seen, it's crazy. It's a big scam. Now there's some good money and we can do that through, any one of a number. I think I'd rather give it to Marco Rubio over at the State Department. Let him take care of the few good ones. So, I don't know if it's kickbacks or what's going on, but the people. Look, I ran on this, and the people want me to find it. And I've had a great help with Elon Musk, who's been terrific," he continued.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with President-elect Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Florida on Friday Nov. 29, 2024 to discuss topics like the economy, illegal immigration and a proposed 25% tariff. (Justin Trudeau X)
Baier also asked Trump about his recent comments about Canada becoming the U.S.' 51st state and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeay saying last week that Trump's desire to acquire the nation is a "a real thing."
TRUDEAU SAYS TRUMP IS SERIOUS ABOUT CANADA BECOMING 51ST STATE: REPORTS
"Yeah, it is," Trump said when asked about Trudeau's remark. "I think Canada would be much better off being a 51st state because we lose $200 billion a year with Canada, and I'm not going to let that happen. It's too much. Why are we paying $200 billion a year essentially in subsidy to Canada? Now, if they're our 51st state, I don't mind doing it."
Trump will spend his Sunday evening in New Orleans, where the Chiefs and Eagles will face off in the Super Bowl. Trump is expected to return to the White House on Sunday evening following the game.
Baier's full interview with Trump will air Monday during "Special Report with Bret Baier."
