Oxon Hill, Maryland – Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, made a surprise appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) held at the Gaylord National Resort Hotel And Convention Center on February 20, 2025.
During a White House press briefing, the identity of the acting administrator of President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was confirmed as Amy Gleason by a White House official. This revelation came shortly after Elon Musk was rumored to be overseeing the government-slashing unit.
Confusion arose when White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt refused to name the DOGE administrator, leaving many questions unanswered. However, a White House official, on condition of anonymity, later identified Gleason as the individual in charge of DOGE.
The lawsuits challenging the actions of DOGE have brought attention to Musk’s role in the unit. In one of the lawsuits, an aide from the Trump administration stated that Musk serves as a senior advisor with no formal authority to make government decisions.
Trump’s executive order created the United States DOGE Service, a team within the Executive Office of the President. The DOGE administrator, who reports directly to the White House chief of staff, is responsible for coordinating with federal agency heads on establishing internal DOGE Teams within their agencies.
On February 18, it was reported that the DOGE administrator position remained vacant since the departure of Mina Hsiang, the previous administrator of the unit formerly known as the U.S. Digital Service. The timeline of when the administrator role was filled remains unclear.
The ongoing developments surrounding DOGE and Musk’s involvement continue to raise questions about the unit’s operations and leadership. As more information emerges, the administration’s approach to government efficiency remains a topic of interest and scrutiny.