White House Clarifies: Elon Musk Is Not Official Leader of Dogecoin Community
Reuters On Monday afternoon, a federal judge posed a straightforward question to lawyers representing the Trump administration: Is tech billionaire Elon Musk considered the administrator of the Department of Government Efficiency, commonly referred to as “Doge”? Although Musk is credited with founding this agency, the White House maintains that he neither leads it nor holds any employment there.
Bradley Humphreys, a Justice Department lawyer, informed the judge that all available information suggests: “I don’t have any data beyond him being a close advisor to the president.” Later on Tuesday at a press briefing, Karoline Leavitt from the White House Press Secretary echoed this stance. She acknowledged that President Donald Trump had tasked Musk with overseeing Doge but added that actual leadership responsibilities are handled by career officials and appointees who work under his guidance. Additionally, she announced without disclosing names that several individuals have joined federal agencies after being “onboarded.” Leavitt did confirm at a later BBC statement that Amy Gleason serves as the acting administrator of Doge; however, no further details about her appointment or background were provided. When contacted by CBS News, Ms. Gleason declined to comment.
Elon Musk has been spearheading an external effort aimed at cutting government spending through substantial funding reductions and staff firings. Max Stier, the president of the non-partisan Partnership for Public Service, commented on this situation: “They’re playing a game,” he said. If Musk were indeed recognized as Doge’s administrator, issues regarding his Senate confirmation would be more evident along with potential conflicts of interest concerns.
Experts suggest that despite not holding official leadership roles within the agency, Musk has portrayed himself as in control by filling Doge positions with employees from his companies and publicizing its activities on X. Moreover, he has appeared alongside President Trump in the Oval Office to promote workforce cuts and represented Doge at a recent Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC) event while wielding a chainsaw.
Trump initiated the creation of Doge by renaming the United States Digital Service—an agency focusing on digital infrastructure—to become the United States Doge Service through an executive order. The executive order outlines the leadership structure, stipulating that “there shall be a USDS Administrator” who reports to the White House chief of staff but does not appoint a specific individual for this role. Notably, Elon Musk’s name is absent from both the executive order and official announcements despite Trump’s public acknowledgment of his contributions.
Doge’s arrival has created turbulence within existing United States Digital Service ranks. Recently, several staffers were fired by administration officials; additionally, 21 employees resigned in protest on Tuesday citing security risks posed by Doge personnel. The Associated Press reported that a letter from these disgruntled workers alleged significant security concerns and their inability to honor commitments made upon joining the service.
Legal challenges brought against Doge have slowed down efforts for federal workforce cuts and forced the administration to confront questions regarding Musk’s status in courtrooms. Prior to declaring Ms Gleason as acting administrator late on Tuesday, multiple lawsuits saw vague answers about who leads or acts as interim leader of Doge from different sources within the government.
At Monday’s hearing Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly expressed concern over Doge’s constitutionality and its alignment with US Constitution’s appointment clause. “It does seem to me if you have people not authorized for these functions yet they’re carrying them out, it raises an issue,” she noted. The judge also emphasized the need for clarity regarding leadership roles within the agency.
Experts clarify that Musk’s role as a government advisor doesn’t align with traditional definitions of “special government employee” who typically have distinct rules including Senate confirmation or unilateral presidential appointments. According to William Resh, a professor studying executive branch functions at the University of Southern California, such employees are hired for their expertise but do not exercise formal authority over official decisions.
Despite his unimpeded actions in various areas regarding federal workforce management so far, Musk’s recent directive requiring staff members to list five accomplishments faced resistance from some Trump-appointed agency leaders. This order was subsequently made optional by several agencies due to concerns about potential exposure of sensitive information and violation of established policies.
