Billionaire Elon Musk is not the head of the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), although he works as an advisor to President Donald Trump. This was confirmed by a White House official to the courts.
Elon Musk’s Role in the White House
Joshua Fisher, who heads the White House Management Office, explained on Monday that Musk is a “special government employee” and a “senior advisor to the president.”
However, he made it clear that, although Musk has a close relationship with the president, he does not have the power to make decisions on his own. He can only give advice and communicate the president’s instructions.
The DOGE and the White House: Separation of Roles
Fisher also clarified that DOGE is part of the president’s executive office but is separate from the White House. While Musk works with the White House, he is not part of DOGE and does not hold the title of “temporary administrator,” as was rumored.
The Mission of DOGE and Musk’s Support for Dogecoin
DOGE, which was created by a presidential decree on January 20, has the mission to “modernize the technology and software of the federal government to improve its efficiency.”
Since its creation, Musk appears to be leading the actions of DOGE, which has led to speculation, especially because the department’s name sounds similar to Dogecoin, the cryptocurrency that Musk supports.
Trump’s Statements about Musk and DOGE
On November 12, before taking office, Trump had mentioned that Musk, along with Vivek Ramaswamy, would lead DOGE. However, in the executive order on January 20, DOGE is officially linked to the president’s executive office, which is separate from the office where Musk works.
Lawsuit and Controversy over Musk’s Role
This clarification from Fisher came in the context of a lawsuit filed on February 13 against Musk, Trump, and DOGE by 14 states, including New Mexico. The states argue that Musk is assuming a role beyond his official duties and that, since his nomination has not been confirmed by the Senate, his actions could be unconstitutional.
Trump Defends His Relationship with Musk in an Interview
In an interview to air on Fox News this Tuesday, Trump defended his relationship with Musk and mocked the comments claiming that Musk holds too much power in the U.S. government. In an excerpt, Trump responded to the rumors saying: “Donald Trump has ceded control of the presidency to Elon Musk. President Musk will attend a meeting of his cabinet tonight at 8:00 PM. I say it’s a great chain, they are very bad,” he joked.
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