White House says Musk has no decision-making authority at DOGE

The White House clarified on Monday that Elon Musk is not an employee of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and has no decision-making authority within the government, Reuters reported.

In a court filing signed by Joshua Fisher, director of the White House Office of Administration, it was stated that Musk’s role is limited to being a senior adviser to President Trump, where he can offer advice and communicate the president’s directives. 

The filing emphasised that, like other senior advisors, Musk has no formal power to make government decisions.

The filing was made in response to a case brought against Musk by the State of New Mexico. It confirmed that Musk is not part of the US DOGE Service or its Temporary Organization and is not the Administrator of the DOGE Service. 

Musk’s involvement in the government came after President Trump appointed him to help eliminate wasteful spending as part of a broader government overhaul that has seen significant job cuts. 

Since the start of Trump’s second term, DOGE has been working to streamline federal agencies, with Musk taking a central role in this effort.