Elon Musk’s DOGE faces mounting criticism from Trump officials for its opaque operations, including unapproved layoff incentives and social media-driven policy leaks, sources reveal.
According to four sources familiar with the matter, President Trump’s top advisers are becoming increasingly frustrated as tech billionaire Elon Musk gains control over more than a dozen federal agencies in the United States. These advisers want more cooperation from Musk’s team while Trump cuts the federal budget.
According to four sources, Trump’s chief of staff Susie Wiles and her team have occasionally felt left in the dark about the efforts of Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency to disrupt operations, access sensitive data, and lay off thousands of federal employees. One of the insiders said that Wiles and a few of her top advisors recently discussed the matters with Musk.
During his Tuesday press conference at the White House, Musk painted a picture of unity among Trump, himself, and his close-knit group of DOGE employees. While Musk and his DOGE team are tearing agencies apart in a massive reorganization that has questioned legislative authority and been the subject of multiple lawsuits, Trump may have trouble striking a balance between his core team and them due to fundamental disagreements with certain White House officials.
“We need to message all this,” Wiles and her staff told Musk in their most recent conversation. “We need to be looped in,” the insider said of the meeting. Reuters could not ascertain the precise date of their communication or the extent to which Musk altered his plans in light of that discussion. The source went on to say that Trump personally kept praising Musk in front of contributors and others.
When asked for comment, Musk remained silent. No word yet from the White House. An official familiar with the situation refuted the reports’ account of tensions, stating that the first “operational glitches” had been resolved. The source stated that Musk and Wiles communicate nearly daily via phone and that Musk delivers reports to Wiles at day’s conclusion.
According to the official, Musk personally proposed holding Tuesday’s news conference at the Oval Office beside his son X, who is four years old. “He showed up with his kid. We rolled with it,” the official stated.
A new executive order signed by Trump on Tuesday gives Elon Musk more authority over the federal bureaucracy and mandates that all federal agencies collaborate with the Department of Energy and Gas (DOGE) to drastically slash staff and restrict employment. An individual designated as a “team lead” will be assigned to each government department to supervise the hiring process, as per the directive from DOGE.
“This is a unified team,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Wednesday. “Elon Musk is serving at the pleasure of the president, just like everybody else on this team. He takes directives directly from the president of the United States.”
Alongside Republican President Trump at the Oval Office press conference, Musk defended his position as an unelected official with extraordinary authority to dissolve portions of the U.S. government. According to him, he has daily conversations with Trump, explaining that Trump works for the public and democracy.
“The people voted for major government reform, and that’s what people are going to get,” Musk declared. “All of our actions are maximally transparent.”
On the other hand, DOGE has kept its operations under wraps. Almost no details about its employees, operations, or dealings with government authorities have been disclosed. Its website is sparse with information regarding its activities, with only dollar amounts for alleged agency cuts and no further specifics provided. It has taken federal workers by surprise by infiltrating at least fifteen departments and obtaining confidential information.
Since Musk is considered a “special government employee,” the White House has decreed that his financial disclosure forms will remain confidential.
According to one of the four sources, Musk’s strategy was what really irritated Wiles, not his attempts to abolish government agencies and reduce the federal workforce. The insider, who is well-versed in the subject, revealed that Wiles, who is one of Trump’s two campaign managers for the 2024 election, has expressed her desire for Musk and DOGE to maintain transparency and organization with her team.
“There is some frustration, but it’s overblown to say it’s a rift,” the person stated.
An associate of high-ranking White House officials provided a fourth source who characterized the conflict as more serious. According to this source, Wiles’ subordinates had voiced their discomfort with Musk releasing information on his social media site X before it had been reviewed by top White House workers. “They’re definitely finding things out on Twitter.”
The controversy stems, in part, from a chain of emails sent by colleagues of Musk to federal employees, the most recent of which offered financial incentives to two million federal workers to resign on January 28. One of the four insiders and another close to Trump allege that Wiles and her team did not approve all of the emails.
Sure enough, a number of Trump’s inner circle and White House staff seem to take great pleasure in Musk’s unyielding approach to leadership. Reuters interviews, however, show that his support is far from universal.
The wealthiest man in the world, Musk, spent more than $250 million to boost Trump’s campaign in last year’s presidential election. Trump has referred to Musk as “fantastic” and lauded DOGE employees as a team of “super geniuses.” Musk started spending a lot of time with Trump after his election in November.
Wiles is a major player in Washington politics due to his position as chief of staff. Her leadership was largely responsible for the lauded discipline of Trump’s most recent presidential campaign. Refusing to accept Trump’s request to address the throng on the night of his election, she gained a reputation for being modest. She has never raised her voice, according to multiple White House insiders. She frequently accompanies Trump on Air Force One flights. While visiting California recently, she averted her gaze whenever the cameras panned to her.
Meanwhile, Musk is well-known for his unbridled passion for the spotlight and his intense, carefree work style. He boasts about working through the weekend and welcomes recommendations from site users on his social media platform X, where he publishes many times a day.
Jaja has a degree in journalism and took classes in international law and business communication. Jaja’s career spans roles at prominent international media outlets, including Business Times and Brigada. As a news editor, she covered a wide range of beats, including business, economy, cryptocurrency, and personal finance. Additionally, she has successfully managed teams of writers producing content on gaming, technology, and entertainment.
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