CNN Host: Does Elon Musk Know He's Not In Charge Of DOGE?

Kaitlan Collins: Consultant, Patriot, that still leaves us tonight with a potentially very important question: Who was running the team that's going from agency to agency, digging into budgets, accessing sensitive data, and also recommending the firings of thousands of employees? That question, which could be key in the legal fights that are playing out, remains unanswered tonight.

Brianna Keilar: Who is in charge of DOGE?

Stephen Miller: The president of the United States.

Brianna Keilar: He's the administrator of DOGE?

Stephen Miller: No, DOGE is, what was formerly US Digital Services, is an agency of the federal government that reports into the Executive Office of the President, which reports to the president of the United States.

Brianna Keilar: Does Elon Musk know he's not in charge of DOGE?

Stephen Miller: Again, the president runs the government, then the president appoints advisers, including Elon, including myself.

Kaitlan Collins: That still leaves a lot of questions and doesn't really clear things up as far as who's in charge at DOGE.
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Donald Trump, as President, established the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) through an executive order on January 20, 2025, his first day in office, tasking it with reducing federal spending and improving efficiency across government agencies. As the head of the executive branch, Trump holds ultimate authority over DOGE’s mission and its implementation, with Elon Musk serving as a key advisor leading the initiative. Elon Musk oversees DOGE’s efforts, guiding its operations as evidenced by his public statements on X, meetings with federal officials, and claims of identifying wasteful spending, though he is not an official government employee and his formal authority remains advisory under Trump’s direction.