Trump hints at curbs on Musk’s powers after billionaire shakes up Washington

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Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. WASHINGTON—President Trump on Monday said there were curbs in place to prevent Elon Musk from doing anything in the government without the White House’s blessing, responding to growing confusion about who was overseeing Musk’s push to dismantle multiple agencies. Trump described Musk’s role as advisory.

“Elon can’t do—and won’t do—anything without our approval and we’ll give him the approval where appropriate. Where not appropriate, we won’t," Trump said. Trump’s comments, made to reporters in the Oval Office, came just hours after a Musk-led team effectively shut down the U.S.

Agency for International Development. Musk, over the weekend, called USAID “evil," “a criminal organization" and said it is “time for it to die." Secretary of State Marco Rubio was made acting head of the agency on Monday and said he would work with Congress regarding the agency’s future. Musk leads X, SpaceX and Tesla and helped sent Musk a letter on Monday vowing to help protect DOGE and its staff.

“I recognize that some of the staff at DOGE has been targeted publicly," he wrote. “At this time, I ask that you utilize me and my staff to assist in protecting the DOGE work and the DOGE workers. Any threats, confrontations or other actions in any way that impact their work may break numerous laws." Musk and his White House team appear to be moving with Silicon Valley velocity to shake up the U.S.

government. They have already accessed payment system information inside the Treasury Department and staffing records at the Office of Personnel Management, among other things. On its social-media account, DOGE claimed to have played a role in changing the way water is pumped in California.