'Public has made their view clear," declares Elon Musk after asking X users if IRS should be 'deleted' amid $20B funding plea

Elon Musk is set to lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the Trump administration, with entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy as part of the team. However, Musk has already stirred controversy by turning to his social media platform X for advice on what seems like an internal government matter: should the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)—the agency responsible for collecting federal taxes and enforcing tax laws—be eliminated? This move could offer a glimpse into the administration's future direction - would decisions made on X shape the fate of the United States?

It all began when the Internal Revenue Service requested $20 billion in additional funding from Congress.?

Elon Musk quickly took to X to weigh in.

"The IRS just said it wants $20B more money," Musk wrote. He then launched a poll asking users whether the IRS's budget should be increased, kept the same, decreased, or outright "deleted."

When the results rolled in, the message was clear: only 3.9% supported keeping the budget as is, 5.6% favoured an increase, 29.9% opted for cuts, and a staggering 60.6% voted to delete the agency altogether.?

Musk simply said, "Well, the public has made their view clear..."

Musk's poll highlights a growing public appetite for radical change in federal operations.

Why does the IRS need $20 billion dollars?

The Tesla CEO's latest post comes in response to a plea from Treasury Department Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo, who recently urged Congress to approve an additional $20 billion in funding for the IRS.?

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Adeyemo warned that without the money, the agency could face severe cutbacks, including halting hiring and scaling back enforcement efforts.

Adeyemo argued that failing to secure the funds could increase the national deficit by $140 billion due to fewer audits of wealthy individuals and large corporations.?

Meanwhile, Elon Musk, who also owns SpaceX and X, has already vowed to slash the federal budget by at least $2 trillion once the Trump administration takes over, signalling a tough road ahead for government agencies seeking more money.

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