Elon Musk will reportedly accept office space in the White House building for his incoming job as joint head of the Department of Government Operations (DOGE), but he will not be wall to wall with President-elect Donald Trump.
Citing two sources briefed on the plans, I New York Times reports that Musk will set up camp in the Eisenhower Executive Office, a separate building adjacent to the White House. It is not yet clear whether Musk's DoGE counterpart, Vivek Ramaswamy, will also have an office in the Eisenhower building.
Musk's DOGE staff, who are interested in reducing government spending in the incoming Trump administration, are currently working out of his SpaceX offices in Washington, DC, I Times.
The billionaire is reported to have held talks with reform officials about his access to the West Wing, according to two people familiar with the matter. The Times that the matter was not clear. Those who can freely enter and leave the West Wing need a special pass.
US President-elect Donald Trump greets Elon Musk as he arrives to attend the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket on November 19, 2024 in Brownsville, Texas. / Brandon Bell / Brandon Bell / Getty Images
While Musk tried hard to stay close to Trump, New York Times journalist and “Trump whistleblower” Maggie Haberman previously told tech reporter Kara Swisher in a Jan. 6 of his podcast, Openedthat the president-elect be complaining to people about how “Musk lives a lot.”
“Trump complains a little bit to people about how Musk lives,” Haberman said. “He really put himself in Trump's face.” Along with donating millions to his campaign efforts, Musk has positioned himself as Trump's sidekick in recent months, attending a few official meetings and staying in one of the cottages available for rent at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate.
“I don't think Musk will have an office in the West Wing,” Haberman said, while noting how difficult it would be for the tech mogul to maintain his near Mar-a-Lago status in the White House. “I don't even know if he will have a green passport to travel.”
The former self-proclaimed Trump expert wrote to X in 2016 that a “key piece” of understanding Trump is that he “is often guided by whoever he ends up talking to.”
Musk's relationship with Trump was reportedly strained after his successful efforts to block a government spending bill earned him the title “President Musk” by some internet people (and fueled MAGA civil war later on).
“The 'President Musk' line was always a way to get him. Trump is not a perfect toy, but there are very clear things that can affect him,” Haberman added during an appearance on the podcast. “I'm not sure Musk has figured that out yet.”
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