Why the White House is pushing back on Elon Musk’s perceived authority with D.O.G.E

Elon Musk is running the US government—at least, that’s what he wants everyone to believe. On X (formerly Twitter), he presents himself as President Donald Trump’s personal war machine, the man in charge of tearing down Washington’s bureaucratic mess through the Department of Government Efficiency (D.O.G.E). He claims he’s axing federal jobs, shutting down agencies, and cutting billions in wasteful spending.

But inside the White House, the story is not quite the same. The Trump administration now swears in court that Musk is just an adviser, not a decision-maker. In a legal filing on Tuesday, the White House testified that Musk has no control over D.O.G.E and no real power in government.

Trump needs Musk, but he also needs to distance himself. A new poll released Wednesday shows 55% of Americans believe Musk has too much influence. If the White House admits Musk is running D.O.G.E, it could fuel constitutional challenges and weaken Trump’s populist image. So they’re playing both sides—letting Musk take credit while legally denying his authority.

pic.twitter.com/gA9MwklW7H

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 20, 2025

White House scrambles to rewrite Musk’s role

The White House can’t keep its story straight. On Tuesday, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt insisted that D.O.G.E is nothing more than an advisory board that delivers recommendations to Trump and his cabinet.

“A president wins an election, and he appoints staff, including myself … including Elon Musk,” said Stephen Miller, Trump’s deputy chief of staff. “And those staff report to him.”

Yet just hours later, Musk sat beside Trump for a pre-recorded Fox News interview, talking about how he’s dismantling the federal government. He described his “special relationship” with Trump, his mission to enforce executive orders, and how he’s leading the charge against bureaucracy.

So, which version is true? A growing number of lawsuits demand answers. Federal courts are struggling to define Musk’s role in government. More than a dozen lawsuits have been filed against Trump’s D.O.G.E, accusing it of operating outside legal boundaries.

At a hearing on Monday, US District Judge Tanya Chutkan challenged Trump’s lawyers on Musk’s unchecked power.

“What appears to be the unchecked authority of an unelected individual and an entity that was not created by Congress and over which it has no oversight” raises serious constitutional concerns, Chutkan said.

Many Democratic attorneys general want Musk and D.O.G.E blocked from interfering with federal agencies. But courts are hesitating. The problem is nobody can define what D.O.G.E actually does.

Chutkan refused to grant an emergency order stopping Musk. She ruled that D.O.G.E’s exact role is still unclear, making a legal intervention premature.

The same lack of clarity is hurting other lawsuits. Since D.O.G.E operates in the shadows, plaintiffs can’t prove how or where it will strike next, making it difficult for courts to act preemptively.

D.O.G.E operates in secrecy while Musk adds to the chaos

A month into Trump’s second term, D.O.G.E remains a mystery. The office has no known administrator, no published list of employees, and no public records of its decisions.

The only thing that’s clear? Musk is calling the shots—at least on X. Since Trump’s inauguration, Musk has flooded his X platform with announcements about government programs being cut, employees being removed, and agencies being shut down. At times, it’s impossible to tell whether he’s speaking for himself or for the government.

Earlier this month, a Wired investigation identified many D.O.G.E staffers. Musk responded immediately, posting on X that revealing their identities “should be considered a criminal act.”

The White House, meanwhile, claims D.O.G.E is operating under “total transparency.” “All of our actions are fully public,” Musk told reporters at the White House this week.

While lawsuits pile up, Trump is turning D.O.G.E into a political selling point. At the FII Priority Summit in Miami Beach, Florida, Trump announced that he’s considering sending 20% of D.O.G.E savings directly to Americans.

“There’s even under consideration a new concept where we give 20% of the D.O.G.E savings to American citizens and 20% goes to paying down debt,” Trump said.

Musk has promised that D.O.G.E will cut $2 trillion in federal spending from the $6.75 trillion annual budget. If that happens, that means $400 billion could be redistributed to taxpayers—roughly $5,000 per household.

Some Republicans are already trying to pitch the plan as a “D.O.G.E dividend.” Others warn that without proof of real savings, it’s nothing more than an election gimmick.