President Trump denied reports that Elon Musk would be given office space in the West Building for DOGE's cost-cutting projects.
The billionaire founder of Tesla and SpaceX was initially expected to have an office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in the White House complex, but not in the West Wing.
but The New York Times reported Mr. Musk, the world's richest man with a net worth of $433.9 billion, has reportedly asked officials about his level of access and demanded access to Mr. Trump.
President Trump denied the possibility of Musk working in the West Wing at a press conference Monday night, saying, “Mr. Musk has secured an office for about 20 people, and we will make sure that these (executive orders) are implemented.” That's what we're hiring for.”
Trump's team and Musk's representatives did not respond to requests for comment.
Musk said the Department of Government Efficiency is not a formal department, as its name suggests, but a separate team tasked with cutting federal spending by up to $2 trillion.
Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who was set to co-lead the project, is leaving DOGE to focus on running for governor in Ohio, according to a spokesperson for the Trump-Vance transition team.
On Tuesday, Musk unveiled the team's first cost-cutting measures. It followed President Trump's promise to eliminate diversity and inclusion measures by shutting down the Chief Diversity Officer Executive Council.
DOGE employees have been working out of SpaceX's central Washington office for the past two months, and a group of Silicon Valley engineers are also split between government agencies, according to the Times.
Some of these workers are wearing dark blue baseball caps with the word “DOGE” written in capital letters, the report said.
Aside from the branded hats, many of the cost-cutting projects are being kept secret, including whether Mr. Musk, a close ally of President Trump and a major campaign donor, will be considered a special public official.
The designation could have a significant impact on Musk's freedoms under the Government Ethics Act.
Special civil servants have more flexibility than regular employees and do not have to perform their duties in front of other people. They are required to disclose their finances, but Musk could avoid releasing information to the public in this role if he chooses not to receive a salary.
However, Musk will still face certain restrictions as a temporary special agent. They include a federal law that makes it a crime for government employees, including specially designated employees, to perform official duties that might help them, their families, or their organizations.
Of course, this billionaire technologist has multiple companies tied to the government. SpaceX has numerous government contracts to send astronauts and satellites into space. Tesla is also affected by government policies such as electric vehicle subsidies.
The president can exempt Musk from the ethics law by signing a waiver.
Despite restrictions under federal ethics laws, the special designation could help DOGE avoid some regulatory hurdles. If the entire team becomes a civil servant, DOGE could avoid oversight under the Federal Advisory Committee Act.
The law requires all meetings to be held in public and all documents to be submitted to the committee for review and available to the public.
