As its influence within the federal government grows daily, one question routinely emerges about the Department of Government Efficiency: Who is in charge? That answer continues to evade the lawyers tasked with defending President Donald Trump’s administration in court.
In an affidavit filed in federal court on Tuesday, a White House official clarified that Elon Musk is not the administrator of the newly formed entity — seemingly contradicting public statements by Trump. Since announcing DOGE in December 2024, he has routinely referred to Musk as its leader.
Elon Musk leaves after a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Blair House, in Washington, D.C., Feb. 13, 2025.
Nathan Howard/Reuters
However, according to Office of Administration Director Joshua Fischer, Musk is a “non career special government employee” who serves as a senior adviser to the president. The filing compared Musk’s role to that of Anita Dunn, a longtime political advisor who served as a senior adviser to President Joe Biden.
The filing did not provide any information about who oversees DOGE, other than ruling out Musk.
-ABC News’ Peter Charalambous
