On April 30, during a cabinet meeting at the White House, U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer stated that the government saved $250 million by canceling funds previously allocated for transparency efforts in Uzbekistan’s cotton industry. Elon Musk, who heads the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), laughed in response to the announcement. The meeting was broadcast live from the White House.
“We saved $250 million by cutting foreign aid programs—including funds that were meant to support transparency and accountability in the Uzbek cotton industry. It makes no sense for us to be financing these foreign initiatives. Thank you to DOGE for identifying these savings. What we discovered—yes, fraud was detected,” Chavez-DeRemer said.
Elon Musk interrupted her remarks, laughing, and commented on the absurdity of the situation.
“Some things are so bizarre, they feel like a comedy show. Uzbek cotton workers. It’s surreal,” Musk remarked.
It is worth recalling that in March, Chavez-DeRemer had already announced the cancellation of millions of dollars previously allocated to increase transparency in the Uzbek cotton sector. In a video statement at the time, she revealed that more than $38 million had been spent on such programs without the knowledge of the American public. Supporting the foreign policy approach of President Donald Trump, she stated that American taxpayers would no longer be misled, and unnecessary foreign spending would be eliminated.