As the Trump administration faces a series of high-profile scandals, scrutiny has turned to one of its most prominent supporters—billionaire Elon Musk. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO was appointed to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a task force aimed at eliminating wasteful spending and reducing government jobs. However, the White House has since clarified that Musk holds no decision-making power, as stated in a recent court filing by Joshua Fisher, director of the Office of Administration.
In a filing submitted to US District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is considering a lawsuit by 14 state attorneys general seeking to prevent Musk from making decisions at DOGE, Fisher said that while President Trump “considers Elon Musk to be his senior adviser on DOGE matters,” Musk does not have any formal authority to make government decisions himself. Fisher said hisFisher said that his role is limited to advising the president and communicating the president’s directives, comparing Musk to other senior White House advisors such as Anita Dunn, who serves as a senior adviser to Vice President Joe Biden.
This is a significant clarification, coming as the DOGE scandals have erupted over claims that Musk was seizing access to sensitive data or using his position in DOGE to bully civil servants. Some experts say that Musk’s advisory role isn’t necessarily illegal but may blur the line between private and public responsibilities. Others warn that his playbook of taking over companies and reshaping them to his vision could wreak havoc on governmental institutions.
DOGE’s mission of cutting federal bureaucracy has been a point of friction for lawmakers. Some worry that the task force could threaten the independence of agencies or cause them to ignore legal obligations. Others worry that the DOGE leadership is too loosely supervised and lacks enough government or oversight experience.
A few months ago, Trump named two of Musk’s business associates to lead the DOGE team — Marko Elez and Nikhil Rajpal — but they have resigned from their roles in the department, according to a Wired report. The names of other DOGE leaders have been kept secret.
In a video posted on his Twitter account last week, Musk referenced his DOGE appearance in court and defended the department. He told the audience that his preferred title is “Tech Support.” In a follow-up tweet, he clarified that he was “not a DOGE employee or temporary administrator.” Instead, he said, his duties are to “help Trump’s Admin streamline, simplify, and improve” all government processes. He also claimed he was being “transparent” about his DOGE responsibilities, inviting anyone to ask questions. His video ended with the message: “I hope I have made a positive impact.”
