The mystery has been solved. The White House confirmed that Amy Gleason is the interim administrator of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), dispelling speculation about Elon Musk’s alleged leadership. This agency, created by President Donald Trump through an executive order on his first day in office, has been shrouded in secrecy until now.
The confusion stems from Trump’s statements. In November, the president announced that he had appointed Musk to head DOGE, but the White House recently clarified in a court filing that the tech mogul does not hold any official position within the agency. In reality, Musk serves as a senior advisor to the president, a role that, while influential, does not grant him direct executive authority over DOGE.
“The White House has explained that Musk oversees DOGE in an advisory capacity but is not a formal employee of the agency,” reported BBC News. Despite this, Trump continues to refer to Musk as the department’s leader. “I signed an order creating the Department of Government Efficiency and put a man named Elon Musk in charge,” the president stated last week during a speech in Miami.
The New York Times revealed that Brad Smith is also part of DOGE’s leadership team and works closely with Gleason in managing the agency. DOGE was born when Trump restructured the USDS through an executive order, integrating it into the White House with the goal of cutting costs and eliminating federal bureaucracy, aligning with Musk’s philosophy of downsizing government.
Although Gleason officially holds the position, Musk has cultivated the perception that he is in charge of DOGE by bringing in technicians from his companies and promoting the department’s actions on his X platform. Additionally, he has represented the agency at public events, such as the CPAC conference, where he shared the stage with Argentina’s President Javier Milei, holding a chainsaw—a gesture loaded with symbolism.
DOGE’s leadership and structure have sparked legal controversies. Democratic attorneys general have challenged Musk’s authority within the Trump administration, though a federal judge recently refused to block his access to government information, ruling that the plaintiffs failed to show “imminent and irreparable harm.”
Furthermore, DOGE has caused internal tensions. According to The New York Times, the agency has 45 employees, many with no prior experience in Washington but with a clear mandate to “reduce and disrupt” the state apparatus. The Associated Press reported that 21 former USDS members resigned in protest, citing “serious security risks” and accusing DOGE of undermining constitutional principles.
The legality of DOGE is also under scrutiny. Federal Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly questioned whether the agency violates the Constitution’s Appointments Clause, which governs the process of appointing government officials. “If there are unauthorized individuals performing government functions, that poses a serious problem,” the judge warned.
The mystery surrounding DOGE’s leadership may have been clarified, but questions about its operations and Elon Musk’s exact role continue to fuel political debate in Washington.
