Trump Contradicts Own Administration, Says DOGE Is 'Headed' By Elon Musk

During his speech to Congress on Tuesday night, President Donald Trump again said that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is "headed" by billionaire SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.

The remark stands in contrast to the White House announcement last week that Amy Gleason is the acting administrator of DOGE.

Newsweek reached out to the White House via email on Tuesday night.

The Context

The White House has recently tried to build some distance between Musk and DOGE after the task force was hit with multiple lawsuits alleging that Musk, as an unelected bureaucrat, ran afoul of federal law by unilaterally shutting down congressionally created agencies and attempting to fire tens of thousands of federal workers.

Amid those lawsuits, the White House said in a recent court filing that Musk was not the head of DOGE, despite what Trump and other administration officials said in the weeks before.

"Like other senior White House advisors, Mr. Musk has no actual or formal authority to make government decisions himself," read the filing.

The filing said that Musk was not an employee of the U.S. DOGE Service, or the U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization and added: "Mr. Musk is not the U.S. DOGE Service Administrator."

What To Know

Trump touted Musk's apparently substantial role in DOGE during his speech to Congress on Tuesday. "I have created the brand-new Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE," Trump said. "Perhaps you've heard of it."

The president went on to say DOGE is "headed" by Musk, "who is in the gallery tonight."

Musk then stood up as Republican lawmakers gave him a standing ovation.

"Thank you, Elon," Trump said. "He's working very hard. He didn't need this ... Thank you very much. We appreciate it."

"Everybody here—even this side—appreciates it, I believe," Trump said, gesturing at Democratic lawmakers, who went on to boo the comment. "They just don't want to admit that."

GOP lawmakers again stood for a standing ovation as Trump claimed DOGE has uncovered "hundreds of billions of dollars" in fraud.

The New York Times has published multiple examples showing the "receipts" DOGE has posted online touting its successes have been riddled with errors and overestimated the amount of money the task force has saved.

"Taking back a lot of that money," Trump said. "We got it just in time. This is just the beginning."

Meanwhile, a federal judge recently grew frustrated with the government's inability to answer questions about the DOGE chain of command and the scope of Musk's role.

"Who was the head of DOGE before Amy Gleason?" U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang asked a Justice Department lawyer at a hearing last week.

"I can't answer that," said Justice Department attorney Joshua Gardner. "I don't know."

"I mean, that seems like a knowable fact, doesn't it?" Chuang said.

"I'm sure it's knowable," Gardner said. "I just don't know it. I'm very conscious of being accurate with the court ... I just can't make it a representation."

Chuang then called the administration's lack of information on Musk's role at DOGE "highly suspicious."

What People Are Saying

Chuang told Gardner at last week's hearing: "I'm not saying you're not being candid, but the whole operation raises questions."

Steven Mazie, a reporter who covers the Supreme Court for The Economist, weighed in on Trump's comments, writing on X: "Trump just gave the plaintiffs in the appointments-clause lawsuits against DOGE a smoking gun. He bragged about DOGE 'which is headed by Elon Musk'. Then Elon Musk took a bow. This...complicates...DOJ lawyers' claim that Amy Gleason, not Musk, is heading up DOGE.

Rick Wilson, a conservative anti-Trump activist and head of The Lincoln Project, wrote on X: "So DOGE *is* headed by Elon Musk? Tell the judge."

What Happens Next

DOGE has continued slashing the government workforce even as it faces a slew of lawsuits over its authority and the scope of Musk's role. Earlier Tuesday, the Associated Press reported that the IRS is planning to cut its workforce of 90,000 employees by roughly half.

Update 03/04/25, 11:10 p.m.: This article was updated with further information and context.