Musk’s Adviser Role Sets Up Constitutional Test Over His Power

A White House declaration that Elon Musk is operating as a mere adviser as he pushes a relentless campaign to slash government spending is setting up a constitutional clash over the billionaire Trump ally’s role in government.

Musk is the face of President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, that has cut jobs, canceled contracts, and accessed sensitive information systems across the federal bureaucracy. But the White House said in a Feb. 17 court filing that Musk isn’t an employee of DOGE, but rather a “senior advisor to the president” with no authority to make government decisions.

The ...