Trump Hints at Curbs on Musk After Billionaire Shakes Up 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.

- Annie Linskey, Brian Schwartz & Rebecca Ballhaus

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 funnel more than $250 million into a political campaign effort aimed at getting Trump and Republicans elected last November.

Trump initially said Musk would co-chair a new entity called the Department of Government Efficiency, but some people involved—including the other co-chair—have already departed, leaving Musk with broad powers.

DOGE, as it is known, is now a repurposed part of the White House, though its exact remit and staff remain murky and undefined.

For example, Musk initially sought volunteers to work with him on DOGE who he said wouldn't be paid, but now because the entity is part of the government, it is unclear whether the staff is paid or whether they are allowed to have other jobs outside the government that might pose a conflict.

Musk has been designated as a "special government employee," a temporary status, which enables him to work at the White House for 130 days without filing financial disclosure forms required for regular White House employees.

Both political parties have used this mechanism to bring in top advisers who have complicated finances.

Trump, speaking of Musk and potential conflicts on Monday, said, "If there's a conflict, then we won't let him get near it."