Following days of discussion about the exact role that the richest man in the world, Elon Musk, would play in Donald Trump’s White House, including how much influence he would have and whether he was actually a federal employee, Musk clarified his position on his social networking platform, X.
Musk stated on Tuesday, “‘Tech Support’ is my preferred title.” It was an understatement done with knowledge.
Elon Musk has become a powerful figure in the turbulent beginning of Trump’s second term as the chairman of the recently established Department of Government Efficiency (Doge). He has spearheaded attempts in the last two weeks to take control of the government payment system, abolish an entire agency, and threaten to fire millions of civil servants if they don’t quit.
But Musk is at conflict with the Washington establishment because of his more aggressive efforts to overhaul the federal government with the same brutal efficiency he applies to businesses like Twitter. Although he has gained a position in Trump’s inner circle, many question whether a confrontation between these two strong personalities is unavoidable.
How did Elon Musk transition from businessman to influential figure in the White House?
From billionaire businessman to White House power broker, Musk’s path was far from simple. Elon Musk said that he has been a consistent Democratic voter for many years. But before the 2024 election, he changed his party affiliations because he was unhappy with Joe Biden’s positions on labor laws, transgender rights, and other matters.
Musk first urged Trump to “hang up his hat & sail into the sunset,” dismissing his candidacy and endorsing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis instead. He quickly rose to prominence as one of Trump’s most significant financial supporters, contributing $288 million to the campaign and other Republican contenders.
Musk was a key member of the administration by the time of Trump’s inauguration, and his position on the dais, directly behind the president’s left shoulder, was a clear indication of his expanding power.
“As I often say, we need to guard our geniuses since there aren’t many of them. At a rally the day before his inauguration, Trump remarked of Musk, “But that one is a good one.”
Since then, Musk has been in Washington almost all the time. Trump was nominated by the president to head Doge, a new department that aims to reduce bureaucratic inefficiencies, almost immediately after he was re-elected. Reports indicate that Musk and his crew have relocated to the federal personnel office adjacent to the White House, despite Trump’s insistence that Musk would not have an office in the West Wing.
According to an administration official, Musk has also obtained a top-secret security clearance, which could grant him access to highly classified intelligence.
How Is the Government Being Shaped by Elon Musk's Leadership Style?
Musk’s leadership style at Tesla, SpaceX, and Twitter is remarkably similar to his approach to government reform. Federal agencies have already been impacted by his unrelenting and occasionally brutal decision-making.
A former program manager at Tesla described Musk’s unwavering attention to goals and frequent disdain for the human cost of his choices. “He is solely focused on the current goal. The former worker claimed that he doesn’t value interpersonal problems and disputes as time wasters.
Musk is infamously intense in his managerial approach. According to the same former Tesla employee, Musk dismissed a worker on the spot because of an overflowing garbage can. “He took that as evidence that this individual wasn’t as proud of his work as he ought to be. That was the subtlety of it, but ultimately, someone was dismissed for acknowledging that their garbage can was overflowing.
This workplace culture may be quite inspiring for people who shared Musk’s ambition. The former worker went on to say, “He can get more out of people than anyone else I have ever seen.” However, many government employees are finding the significant cultural shift to be startling.
What Was the Status of USAID Under Elon Musk's Direction?
At USAID, the federal organization in charge of overseas development, Musk’s influence has been felt more than anywhere else. The agency’s functions have come to a complete stop in less than two weeks.
Trump has previously put foreign aid money on hold for ninety days while he assessed whether it aligned with his policy objectives. Musk, however, went one step farther and quickly dismantled USAID after calling it a “criminal organization” on X.
Soon after the USAID website went down on February 1, the agency’s official X account vanished as well. Following a clash with Doge members over access to a secure facility used for evaluating confidential information, two senior security personnel were placed on administrative leave that same weekend. According to rumors, the government was pulling people from all around the world by the end of the week, and USAID officials were instructed to stay at home and were locked out of their emails by Monday.
Musk said, “It’s beyond repair,” in a 50-minute interview on X Spaces. He recalled talking to Trump about the future of USAID. “I thoroughly discussed it with him, and he concurred that we ought to shut it down. “Are you sure?” I asked him several times after checking with him.
A USAID employee was shocked by Musk’s comments. “The comments from Elon Musk have been particularly cutting, calling us a ‘criminal organization’ that needs to ‘die,’” they stated. “Coming from the wealthiest man on the planet, that feels pretty grotesque.”
Are Elon Musk's and Trump's actions lawful?
There are significant legal issues with USAID’s dissolution. USAID was created as an autonomous organization by Congress, which also provides funding and oversight. Political analysts claim that Trump and Musk’s activities seem to go against the law.
The University of Chicago political science professor Jon Rogowski stated, “On its face, efforts by Trump and Elon Musk to shut down USAID are not legal because it runs afoul of what Congress has explicitly done previously.”
Trump does, however, have extensive power to restructure federal institutions. A possible step to transfer USAID’s operations under the purview of the State Department is indicated by his choice of Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the agency’s acting director.
It appears that congressional Republicans are open to reaching a settlement with the administration. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee chair, Senator James Risch, stated, “I support the Trump administration’s efforts to reform and restructure the agency in a way that better serves U.S. national security interests.”
Will Trump and Elon Musk clash as a result of Musk's influence?
Musk’s influence has undoubtedly sped up USAID’s dissolution, even if he lacks the legal power to shut it down on his own. The precedent this creates for a private citizen using such authority over governmental institutions worries several academics.
“I cannot think of any precedent where a presidential administration has essentially handed over the reins to a private citizen to remake and take control of the executive branch as they see fit,” Rogowski said.
Musk’s involvement in government was first praised by his contemporaries in Silicon Valley, but many are now uncomfortable. “Predictability is what most CEOs of publicly traded global IT businesses desire. Stability is what they desire. “They want the dollar to be strong,” a former tech executive stated. “The headlines coming out of Washington are creating anxiety and uncertainty.”
Dr. Philip Low, Musk’s former colleague, said that his ambition for power would eventually cause him to clash with Trump. “He has a tendency to acquire businesses, make investments in them, cause instability, and then seize control of them. His largest investment to yet is the White House, and he is currently undermining the American government.”
However, Trump insists that Musk is within his control. “Elon cannot and will not do anything without our consent, and we will grant it to him when it is suitable. We won’t where it’s inappropriate,” Trump declared. “He reports in.”
