US President Donald Trump confirmed on Monday that billionaire Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been appointed to oversee the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). However, Trump made it clear that Musk would only carry out tasks with the administration’s approval.
Speaking at the White House to reporters, Trump said, “Elon can’t do and won’t do anything without our approval, and we’ll give him the approval, where appropriate; where not appropriate, we won’t. But he reports in.” Trump added that if any conflict came up, Musk wouldn’t be involved. “If there’s a conflict, then we won’t let him get near it. But he does have a good, instinct. He’s got a team of very talented people,” he added.
During this announcement, he was also scheduled to be defined as a “special government employee,” which makes it possible to maintain his ventures in the private sector while working on government service. Special government employees are not provided with a set salary and enjoy a limited duration of tenure spanning no more than 130 days. However, Trump has made no declaration to date regarding Musk’s term span.
Elon Musk to Shape USAID on the Backs of White House Support
Musk had previously announced that he wants to abolish the USAID and called it a left-wing outfit not responsible to the White House. Trump supports the idea, which means something is bound to change in the government’s operations abroad.
However, government ethics experts have expressed such reservations about Musk’s special treatment. An attorney and professor at Washington University School of Law said: “If they don’t make public his financial disclosure, it may make it impossible for the public and nongovernmental organizations and journalists to hold him and the government accountable and make sure he doesn’t participate in matters where he has conflicts.”
With Musk stepping into this new role, transparency questions and conflict-of-interest questions come up more vividly than ever, particularly since he wields immense influence both in the private sector and government circles.