Bobby Allen

Musk and the White House did not return requests for comment. President Trump says Musk will be removed from any government work that could help any one of his six businesses. Bobby Allen, NPR News.

Musk and the White House did not return requests for comment. President Trump says Musk will be removed from any government work that could help any one of his six businesses. Bobby Allen, NPR News.

Quite a bit. Musk's deputies are moving very fast. In just the first two weeks of the Trump administration, they have intervened at the Treasury Department, which, you know, processes trillions of dollars of payments every year. And it's not just Treasury. Doge is involved in the Office of Personnel Management, looking for ways to slash the federal payroll.

Quite a bit. Musk's deputies are moving very fast. In just the first two weeks of the Trump administration, they have intervened at the Treasury Department, which, you know, processes trillions of dollars of payments every year. And it's not just Treasury. Doge is involved in the Office of Personnel Management, looking for ways to slash the federal payroll.

Quite a bit. Musk's deputies are moving very fast. In just the first two weeks of the Trump administration, they have intervened at the Treasury Department, which, you know, processes trillions of dollars of payments every year. And it's not just Treasury. Doge is involved in the Office of Personnel Management, looking for ways to slash the federal payroll.

They're analyzing the government's real estate holdings. In sum, Doge... at the direction of Musk, is barreling into vast swaths of the federal government and promising to divide and conquer what he sees as the deep state. Not that unlike the way Musk bulldozed Twitter, and then when he purchased it, of course, he renamed it X. I would not say that this has been the most transparent effort.

They're analyzing the government's real estate holdings. In sum, Doge... at the direction of Musk, is barreling into vast swaths of the federal government and promising to divide and conquer what he sees as the deep state. Not that unlike the way Musk bulldozed Twitter, and then when he purchased it, of course, he renamed it X. I would not say that this has been the most transparent effort.

They're analyzing the government's real estate holdings. In sum, Doge... at the direction of Musk, is barreling into vast swaths of the federal government and promising to divide and conquer what he sees as the deep state. Not that unlike the way Musk bulldozed Twitter, and then when he purchased it, of course, he renamed it X. I would not say that this has been the most transparent effort.

Yeah, well, in Congress, Republicans have been mostly quiet, but Democrats are sounding the alarm. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called Doge, quote, a shadow government conducting a hostile takeover. Sharp words. And that gets at one of the questions Doge is facing. Can Musk legally have this much access and control over the federal government?

Yeah, well, in Congress, Republicans have been mostly quiet, but Democrats are sounding the alarm. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called Doge, quote, a shadow government conducting a hostile takeover. Sharp words. And that gets at one of the questions Doge is facing. Can Musk legally have this much access and control over the federal government?

Yeah, well, in Congress, Republicans have been mostly quiet, but Democrats are sounding the alarm. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called Doge, quote, a shadow government conducting a hostile takeover. Sharp words. And that gets at one of the questions Doge is facing. Can Musk legally have this much access and control over the federal government?

And then there are other questions, Steve, about whether Doge creates conflicts of interest, because as we know, Musk runs six companies, including rocket company SpaceX, electric vehicle company Tesla. while Musk is also a senior advisor to President Trump. And we learned just yesterday that the White House has made Musk a special government employee.

And then there are other questions, Steve, about whether Doge creates conflicts of interest, because as we know, Musk runs six companies, including rocket company SpaceX, electric vehicle company Tesla. while Musk is also a senior advisor to President Trump. And we learned just yesterday that the White House has made Musk a special government employee.

And then there are other questions, Steve, about whether Doge creates conflicts of interest, because as we know, Musk runs six companies, including rocket company SpaceX, electric vehicle company Tesla. while Musk is also a senior advisor to President Trump. And we learned just yesterday that the White House has made Musk a special government employee.

It's essentially a temporary government job. It can't run longer than 130 days. And Doge itself was stood up as a temporary organization to radically cut costs in government. But Musk's exact remit is kind of unknown. It's a little murky. Government watchdogs, though, are worried he is going to operate with no guardrails.

It's essentially a temporary government job. It can't run longer than 130 days. And Doge itself was stood up as a temporary organization to radically cut costs in government. But Musk's exact remit is kind of unknown. It's a little murky. Government watchdogs, though, are worried he is going to operate with no guardrails.

It's essentially a temporary government job. It can't run longer than 130 days. And Doge itself was stood up as a temporary organization to radically cut costs in government. But Musk's exact remit is kind of unknown. It's a little murky. Government watchdogs, though, are worried he is going to operate with no guardrails.

Now, President Trump said Musk is acting only with the explicit approval of the White House and that, quote, where we think there's a conflict or a problem, we won't let him go near it. That's what Trump said recently. But experts I spoke to aren't so sure. Richard Painter was the White House's top ethics lawyer in the George W. Bush administration.

Now, President Trump said Musk is acting only with the explicit approval of the White House and that, quote, where we think there's a conflict or a problem, we won't let him go near it. That's what Trump said recently. But experts I spoke to aren't so sure. Richard Painter was the White House's top ethics lawyer in the George W. Bush administration.

Now, President Trump said Musk is acting only with the explicit approval of the White House and that, quote, where we think there's a conflict or a problem, we won't let him go near it. That's what Trump said recently. But experts I spoke to aren't so sure. Richard Painter was the White House's top ethics lawyer in the George W. Bush administration.