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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear.

NPR has learned the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency, or Doge,

has attempted to assign a team to the congressional watchdog, the government accountability

office.

As NPR's Chris Alder reports, the GAO is refused.

Since its inception, Doge has been

strong-arming its way into government agencies, gaining access to sensitive data and directly or indirectly

firing workers. NPR has learned and a GAO spokesman confirms that Doge is trying to assign a team to

the watchdog agency, citing an executive order from President Trump.

But the GAO is an independent agency that's part of the legislative branch, in other words, Congress, not the White House.

So GAO says it is not subject to executive orders and is therefore declined Doge's request.

Meanwhile, the watchdog agency has dozens of investigations underway

and to whether the White House violated the law by freezing funding that had already been allocated

by Congress. Chris Arnold and PR News. President Trump has wrapped up his nearly week-long trip to the

Middle East, a visit that included plenty of pomp and pageantry, with stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.

NPR's Domenico Montanaro says perhaps one of the biggest headlines, though,

was from a 747 jumbo jet.

Cutter wants to give to the U.S.

Members of his own party have raised concerns, too,

...