Billionaire Elon Musk and President-elect Donald Trump have grown closer since the November election, with the tech giant joining the Republican leader in high-stakes meetings, appearances and events. Now, the two are seemingly set to grow even closer, as Musk is expected to use office space in the White House complex during the incoming administration.
Musk, who has been appointed by Trump as the head of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), along with entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, will aim to slash government spending over the next four years.
Though he will hold an unelected position, the space anticipated for Musk is in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which is adjacent to the White House, according to a recent New York Times report. He has reportedly also been in contact with transition officials about what his level of access to the West Wing will be, but the answer remains unclear.
Interestingly, it also remains unclear whether Ramaswamy would also have office space in the Eisenhower building, the latest indicator of Trump's closer relationship to the X billionaire than some of his other colleagues in Washington.
Musk and Ramaswamy's DOGE is planning on identifying $2 trillion to cut from the federal budget, though their logistics and their inner-workings have remained largely unanswered, according to MSNBC.
The "department" has come under criticism by experts and lawmakers who question the legitimacy and efficiency of such a group. Neither leader has any background in auditing or the federal government. At the same time, Musk— who donated millions to Trump's reelection campaign— has already admitted that it won't be able to meet Trump's goals.
It has not yet been revealed how large Musk's team will be. So far, DOGE staff members are working out of the Washington, D.C., offices of Musk's own SpaceX company.
At the same time, the billionaire's official status in Washington is being debated, according to The Times investigation. Some transition officials have suggested he could become a "special government employee," a status that can be paid or unpaid and has more flexible rules for personal financial disclosures than what is required of ordinary employees.
If that's the case, Musk, the richest person in the world, would almost certainly waive his salary, according to The Times. But there could also be legal implications to how the Trump administration ends up defining Musk's role and how DOGE fits in the executive branch bureaucracy.
All government employees, including special and temporary ones, are subject to a criminal conflict of interest law that bars them from participating in official matters in which they or their families or organizations have a financial interest. Because some of Musk's companies have contracts with the federal government, that statute would seem to bar DOGE from working on related issues if he takes on such status.
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