Elon Musk, the tech mogul who was recently bestowed the status of a ‘special government employee,’ has been receiving subtle reminders from the White House on the limitations of his newfound powers. Despite being offered a considerable amount of autonomy to institute budget cuts and overhaul the federal system with an unprecedented rapidity, his authority hasn’t been left unbounded. President Trump has publicly indicated, while his aides privately confirmed that Musk, despite his elevated status, is still an employee who must answer to the White House Chief of Staff, Susie Wiles.
An anonymous informant, closely familiar with the scenario, corroborated this viewpoint, adding that Musk himself has affirmed that Wiles stands at the helm of the White House team. On Monday, President Trump iterated his support for the initiatives of DOGE, spearheaded by Musk. However, he clarified that Musk’s ability to enact changes is subject to their collective agreement.
Amplifying on this, Trump pointed out that Musk can only dismiss personnel whom he deems unfit, contingent on their agreement. He stated, ‘Elon’s actions have our blessings where suitable, but we will mince no words in denying permission where we deem it inappropriate.’ Regardless, Musk, who is expected to live up to this role for the next 18 months, possesses privileges that outshine those of a conventional White House staff member.
Insiders clued in about the internal mechanisms stated that Musk shares an ongoing dialogue with Trump over the phone. These connections are bidirectional. Musk, with his young team — some as youthful as 19 and most lacking traditional governmental experience — have dispersed throughout the federal system, approaching the situation as they would a private corporation in dire need of a trim-down and update.
Bypassing the reservations of a senior agency official, Musk managed to gain access to confidential government databases along with the Treasury Department’s payment architecture. This has allowed him to view, but not meddle with, the payment system. The objective of his DOGE team has largely been focused on swaying a significant portion of federal workers towards accepting ‘deferred resignations’, in a bid to reduce the workforce.
In a more drastic measure, Musk is advocating for the closure of the U.S. Agency for International Development. This move has left the agency in a crisis state, with its funds frozen and staff members locked out. Moreover, on Tuesday, the Trump administration took steps towards consolidating control over the government’s technological framework, thereby furthering Musk’s objectives.
Musk, unafraid of boasting about his feats, has frequently posted about these on X, a social media platform that he owns. At times, he has leveraged the platform to assess his followers’ perspectives and identify his next quarry. A Trump supporter who was affiliated with his transition team appreciated Musk’s unyielding urgency.
They commended Musk’s quick pace, unprecedented and necessary according to them. ‘His rapid progress acts as a breath of fresh air. He’s effectively delivering on promises that conservatives have been making for over four decades,’ the individual expressed. ‘This swift momentum is crucial, otherwise one risks sinking into the quagmire of bureaucracy.’
A source closely aligned with both Trump and Musk, but not implicated directly within DOGE, extolled Musk for his readiness to shake up governmental systems ripe for renovation. A contractor from USAID, who lost his job in the wake of DOGE’s activities, expressed his concerns, ‘He wields influence far beyond any one individual, without being elected, approved by the Senate or vetted. His sway over the White House is enormous.’
Musk also has a significant ally on his side in the Justice Department. Earlier this week, Ed Martin, the interim U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., who was appointed by Trump announced that his team would prosecute those revealing the identities of key DOGE engineers.
Martin didn’t divulge potential targets for prosecution or the specific laws these actions might violate, but stated, ‘Preliminary investigation of the evidence posed to us suggests that certain parties or groups may have infringed the law by deliberately targeting DOGE employees.’ Musk responded swiftly to this news, posting a warning message on X, ‘Steer clear of @DOGE.’