Leavitt Answers Questions About Musk Role
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt swiftly dismissed concerns from New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman on Wednesday regarding potential conflicts of interest involving Elon Musk and his leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) project.
The exchange, which took place during a press briefing, underscored the administration’s confidence in Musk’s compliance with federal regulations despite mounting scrutiny.
Haberman pressed Leavitt on whether President Donald Trump had signed a waiver allowing Musk to engage in government work while maintaining his vast private business interests. Citing conflict of interest laws, Haberman asked whether such a waiver existed and, if so, whether the White House would release it for transparency.
Leavitt, however, appeared unimpressed by the line of questioning. “I have not seen the law that you are referring to,” she responded. “What I can tell you is that Elon Musk, as I’ve confirmed before, is a special government employee.”
She reassured the press that Musk had filed the necessary financial disclosures and was adhering to all applicable federal laws. Moreover, Leavitt pointed out that Musk himself had directly addressed the issue, stating that his work with the government is conducted transparently.
“If you all perceive a conflict of interest, you’re welcome to bring that up,” she added, shifting the responsibility back onto the press.
Leavitt further emphasized that President Trump retained full authority over Musk’s involvement in government affairs. “As the President said, if he feels like Elon is engaging in something that’s a conflict of interest, he will tell Elon not to do that,” she explained.
According to Leavitt, Musk has taken a proactive approach to ensuring ethical compliance. “Elon also said yesterday that before he moves forward with anything, he consults with the President of the United States,” she noted. “So we’re very confident with the ethics and the guardrails that have been put in place here.”