In Cowardly Move to Backtrack, Trump Throws Elon Musk Under the Bus in Court, Saying Musk is Not Head of DOGE

Photo of Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Donald Trump from AP News (Photo/Alex Brandon)..

Amid the various lawsuits in response to the Department of Government Efficiency’s terminations of federal employees, the Trump Administration said in a court filing on Monday that billionaire megalomaniac Elon Musk has “no actual or formal authority to make government decisions” and is not the head of DOGE. This admission is leaving many to ask, “If Elon Musk is not running DOGE, who is?”

What Happened

Headed by Elon Musk according to what Musk and Donald Trump previously said, DOGE has swept through the federal government, firing employees and demanding resignations,” as reported by AP News. In a push against Musk, a judge issued a temporary restraining order that prevents Musk from firing USAID workers without following the necessary steps. Even more concerning about the terminations is DOGE’s accidentally firing America’s nuclear weapons team and scrambling to rehire those same employees, many of who could not be located. Donald Trump and Elon have painted Musk as the head of DOGE, but the Trump Administration is saying differently in court.

In a court filing Monday, Joshua Fisher, the director of the Office of Administration, likened Musk’s role in the Trump Administration to that of a “Senior Advisor to the President,” who is in no way affiliated with DOGE. The filing goes on to say, “Mr. Musk has no greater authority than other senior White House advisors… Mr. Musk has no actual or formal authority to make government decisions himself. Mr. Musk can only advise the President and communicate the President’s directives.”

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As is publicly known, the DOGE team is comprised of Musk’s employees, and Musk has been responsible for the management of those employees. When the media exposed one of his employee’s racists posts, Musk fired and then rehired him, after polling his own followers on whether or not he should.

Also, Musk held an hour-long press conference in the White House beside Trump to answer questions about DOGE, while his son allegedly told Trump to “shush” and that he should “go away” because he’s “not the president.” When speaking about DOGE, Trump deferred questions to Musk and asked him at one point, “Could you mention some of the things you and your team have found?” Musk also repeatedly said “we” when speaking about the actions of DOGE and took the onus for miscommunications regarding the agency. This is why the Trump Administration’s court filing saying Musk has no authority in DOGE is confusing for some, while others view it as another attempt at the Trump team to play word games in court and lie.

The filing by Fisher came as a response to a case brought by Democratic attorneys general across the country to prevent Musk from using his pseudo-authority to influence the federal government. Musk is literally changing the lives of these employees and not for the better. The states contend Elon Musk is violating the “Appointments Clause” of the Constitution which sets the requirement that senior branch officials be confirmed first by the Senate. By exercising control over governmental agencies without being confirmed, Musk is circumventing a law meant to prevent exactly what he is doing.

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Tens of thousands of federal employees have accepted the buyout offered to them through email by Musk and DOGE, and some were still fired by mistake. The rest don’t even know if the buyout is legal or will paid out. Fearing being fired, some took the buyout that promises them full pay until late summer, even if they don’t work. When these employees got the emails sent by Musk, had those emails started with, “I have no authority over you, and I am not an employee of DOGE,” those employees wouldn’t have resigned.

Those who didn’t take the buyout were told they faced being fired, relocated to different states or expected to meet “higher standards” that could simply amount to micromanaging and underpay. Elon Musk’s careless firings have led to the Trump Administration’s being challenged in court and having to walk back previous statements made affirming Elon Musk as the head of DOGE. According to the Trump team, he’s not even an employee of DOGE, the very inefficient agency.

The Takeaway

Elon Musk is not the head of DOGE, and he has no special authority within the Trump Administration, according to a court filing by Joshua Fisher, the director of the Office of Administration. This court filing has left many confused and with more questions than answers. They would like to know who’s running DOGE if Elon Musk isn’t. The public needs to know who’s going through their information and what it is being used for. As usual with this administration, nothing makes sense.

This article was written by Jermaine Reed, MFA, the Editor-in-Chief of The Reeders Block. He also works an Adjunct College Professor. Join the email list to get notifications on new blog posts and books. This article is 100% human-written. And remember, if you see an error, that’s what makes us human.