According to recent reports, the world’s richest man is expected to have a front-row seat to the goings-on in the White House.
The New York Times, citing two people who were briefed on the plans, reports that Elon Musk is readying to set up the toothless Department of Government Efficiency, in the Eisenhower Building, which is just a hop, skip, and a jump away from President-elect Donald Trump’s White House. The Times said it’s currently unclear whether this will give Musk unfettered access to the West Wing, something that typically requires a “special pass.” Still, given his literal proximity to the White House, it’s clear that Musk is attempting to further extend his influence across Washington, D.C.
To that effect, Musk has already asked what his level of access to the West Wing will be, but there’s not a solid answer to that. The Times raised the possibility that Musk could receive an all-access pass by becoming a “special government employee,” a potentially salaried position that would give him more flexibility in terms of financial disclosures compared to regular members of staff.
The recent news of Musk’s move comes amid reports that Trump is increasingly annoyed by him. Reporter Maggie Haberman of the NYT, previously told another reporter that the president-elect has been complaining about how Musk is “around a lot.”
Indeed, it would make sense for Trump to create some distance between Musk and himself. There’s already a perception that Musk wields far too much political power, though Trump has attempted to dismiss any suggestion that he’s ceded power to the high-profile billionaire. Plus, some of Trump’s most ardent allies, including Steve Bannon, who was an architect of Trump’s 2016 presidential win, really despise Musk, and have not made it a secret.
Still, even if he’s right next to Trump, it’s unclear what exactly DOGE will look like or do or what Musk’s specific role will be. Not only do we not know the size of Musk’s team and his exact role, but DOGE is not an official government department and Musk is neither an elected official nor a federal employee. Plus, we don’t know whether Musk’s DOGE partner, Vivek Ramaswamy, will also have office space in the Eisenhower building.
Musk’s operation, which aspires to slash an unspecified amount of government spending under a second Trump administration, currently operates out of his SpaceX offices in Washington, D.C.
But it’s not a complete surprise that he’s practically moving in with Trump—or at least attempting to. Musk has been glued to the president-elect for the better part of the latter’s campaign. Musk spent at least $260 million to get Trump elected again and has since bullied elected leaders, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, to get his priorities passed.
Maybe far-right conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer was right when she asserted that Musk is a “stage 5 clinger.” After all, Musk was already “renting” one of the residential spaces at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, for $2,000 a night.
But will the Oval Office be big enough for two ginormous egos and outsized personalities, let alone the various conflicts of interest following Musk?
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