Trump Praises DOGE's 'Young But Brilliant' Employees

Elon Musk — whose name has become nearly synonymous with the cost-cutting mission of the newly formed “Department of Government Efficiency” — doesn’t actually work for it, the White House said.

Instead, Musk is a senior adviser to the president and “has no greater authority than other senior White House advisers,” said Joshua Fisher, the director of the White House Office of Administration.

Fisher argued late Monday that Musk’s role is separate from the agency he champions, known as DOGE.

The distinction has legal and practical implications. As a direct adviser to the president in the White House Office, Musk’s advice would likely be shielded by executive privilege. And unlike the Office of Management and Budget, the part of the president’s office where DOGE resides, the White House Office is not subject to the Freedom of Information Act.

Fisher’s description of Musk’s role came in a sworn statement submitted by the government in a case brought last week by the state of New Mexico and 13 other Democratic attorneys general, claiming that Musk has exceeded his authority because he’s not a Senate-confirmed officer of the government.

--------

Subscribe to our YouTube channel

Subscribe to Bloomberg Originals

Bloomberg Quicktake brings you global social video spanning business, technology, politics and culture. Make sense of the stories changing your business and your world.

Connect with us on…

Breaking News on YouTube