During a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show grounds in Butler, Pennsylvania, on October 5, 2024, former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, reached out to greet Elon Musk backstage. This interaction highlighted Musk’s current role within the Trump administration as a “special government employee,” a position confirmed by a White House official.
This title implies that Musk, the renowned tech mogul and staunch Trump supporter, is not working as a full-time employee or volunteer. Instead, he has been entrusted with a mission to slash costs across the federal government. Those designated as special government employees face conflict of interest and ethics policies, yet these rules are less stringent than those for regular federal employees. Being temporary, this role circumvents certain disclosure requirements mandatory for full-time employees.
A source familiar with such roles explained that these employees can contribute up to 130 days annually. The days can be divided flexibly—for instance, if Musk works half a day, it only counts as half.
Trump appointed Musk to lead the newly formed “Department of Government Efficiency” (nicknamed DOGE). This development came following Trump’s decision to rebrand the U.S. Digital Service as the U.S. DOGE Service, initiating DOGE within the Executive Office through an executive order signed on his first day in office.
This executive order mandated DOGE to enhance governmental productivity and efficiency. DOGE’s team may comprise agency staff or newly recruited temporary workers, including Musk, categorized as special government employees.
There have been concerns over Musk’s company, SpaceX, securing billions in contracts with the federal government, which some argue may present a conflict of interest. Nevertheless, a Congressional Research Service report stated that special government employees could work no more than 130 days over any stretch of 365 days.
Trump reassured on Monday that Musk’s department would operate under White House oversight, emphasizing that Musk wouldn’t have unchecked authority. “Elon can’t do and won’t do anything without our approval,” Trump communicated to reporters in the Oval Office. “Where appropriate, we’ll approve; where not, we won’t. He reports in… but has a good natural instinct.”
As the world’s wealthiest individual, Musk didn’t hesitate to promote the political advantages of reducing government expenditure. On his social media platform X, he asserted, “Nothing polls higher than cutting government spending.”
Musk has criticized overseas aid expenditure, labeling the U.S. Agency for International Development a “crazy waste of money.” He mentioned in early Monday comments that he and Trump are working to dismantle the agency.
DOGE has already taken credit for widespread budget cuts, such as terminating leases for underused buildings worth $44.6 million, revoking contracts associated with diversity and inclusion amounting to $1 billion, and cutting more than $40 billion directed toward foreign aid.
