Tue Feb 18 11:37:38 UTC 2025: **Headline: White House Clarifies: Elon Musk Advises, But Doesn’t Run, Trump’s DOGE**

**Byline:** The Hindu

**Dateline:** Washington, D.C. – February 18, 2025

A White House court filing has clarified Elon Musk’s role within the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), dispelling rumors that the billionaire businessman is secretly running the department. While Musk is a senior advisor to President Donald Trump and a non-career Special Government Employee at the White House, the filing explicitly states he holds no formal authority to make government decisions. The filing, submitted by Joshua Fisher, director of the Office of Administration, refutes claims from 14 U.S. states, including New Mexico, who brought a case against Musk.

President Trump, in an excerpt from an upcoming Fox News interview with Musk, addressed the controversy, stating that Musk has received excessive negative press but that ultimately, “people are smart, they get it.” Musk agreed.

The filing emphasized the distinction between Musk’s position within the White House and the DOGE, stating that he is an employee of the former but not the latter. This clarifies that Musk’s role is strictly advisory, limited to communicating the President’s directives. The DOGE, created by President Trump to reduce government spending, has implemented thousands of job cuts. Trump’s November announcement that Musk would “lead” DOGE sparked the controversy. The filing further clarifies that Musk is neither the temporary administrator of DOGE nor does he have any formal position within the department’s temporary organization.

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