White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has revealed that corporate media reporters were stunned into “sheer silence” when a bombshell was exposed by President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Leavitt was referencing the discovery by DOGE investigators that a limestone mine in Pennsylvania is still being used to store federal retirement files.
During a Wednesday appearance on Fox News, Leavitt stated that DOGE, led by Elon Musk, is bringing to light the “rot” in Washington D.C.
The issue gained attention during a press appearance in the Oval Office on Tuesday.
During the presser, Musk joined President Donald Trump and addressed the outdated system that continues to rely on paper documents stored underground.
Musk noted that the slow, manual process of handling federal employee retirements remains a serious inefficiency.
On his “Primetime” show, host Jesse Watters highlighted that former President Barack Obama spent millions on the facility.
Watters asked Leavitt if Trump intends to shut it down.
“Yes, he [Trump] does,” Leavitt confirmed.
“That’s why Elon Musk and President Trump brought it to the American people’s attention in the Oval Office yesterday.
“As they did that, Jesse, I was watching the faces of the mainstream media reporters who were in the Oval Office, and there was sheer silence because it appeared that many of them who are supposed to be writing the truth about our federal bureaucracy had no idea that the federal retirement system is being processed deep into the ground and is not computerized.”
The Pennsylvania limestone mine, located in Boyers, has been a storage site for government documents for years.
A 2014 Washington Post report revealed that at the time, approximately 600 employees of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) worked in the underground facility.
OPM employees are manually processing retirement paperwork for federal workers.
Despite millions of dollars being allocated to digitize the system, the mine has remained operational.
The report also noted that, under the Obama administration, additional millions were spent on the mine.
At least 200 more employees added in the past five years.
Leavitt emphasized that Musk and DOGE are playing a critical role in exposing inefficiencies within the federal government.
Their efforts are aligning with Trump’s broader plan to reform Washington D.C.
“They, the president and Elon, are shining a light on the truth about our federal government,” Leavitt said.
“But the mainstream media simultaneously is saying there’s an alleged lack of transparency and access. It’s preposterous.
“Together, President Trump and Elon, the entire DOGE team, and this entire administration are shining a light on the corruption, the waste, the fraud, and abuse.”
She further described Trump’s commitment to delivering on his campaign promises.
“Sunlight is the best disinfectant, and they are revealing the rot of this city every single day,” Leavitt said.
“It’s music to the ears of the American people who voted for this.
“As you rightly pointed out, 77 million of them liked what President Trump promised on the campaign trail, and he is delivering, and it’s fascinating.”
WATCH:
The exposure of the Pennsylvania mine comes amid broader efforts by the Trump admin to overhaul inefficient government programs.
However, pushback from the Left against DOGE and Musk’s involvement has been swift.
On February 3, Musk announced that he and Trump had agreed to restructure the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
Trump placed the agency under the leadership of Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The move has sparked strong opposition from Democrat lawmakers.
Some Democrats have openly protested in Washington D.C., despite the widespread corruption being exposed at USAID.
Democrat lawmakers were seen directing profane remarks at Trump, while others have called for the Senate to be “shut down” in response.
Despite opposition, Trump’s administration appears to have growing public support.
A CBS News poll released Sunday found that 53% of Americans approve of Trump’s administration so far.
70% say Trump is following through on his campaign promises.
As DOGE continues its efforts to streamline the federal government and eliminate waste, the revelation about the limestone mine underscores the scale of bureaucratic inefficiency that has persisted for decades.
The Trump administration’s focus remains on dismantling outdated government systems and ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent efficiently.
READ MORE – DOGE Blocks Taxpayer Funding for Fauci Museum Exhibit
