'Is this person working under cover?' Analysts ponder as White House mum on DOGE head
The White House press secretary was questioned again Tuesday about who is leading the Department of Government Efficiency. This time, however, she answered that there was a leader of the department, but she wouldn't tell the press who it was.
"I'm not going to reveal the name of that individual from this podium," said Leavitt. "But we've been incredibly transparent..."
Leavitt was asked about whether Elon Musk is "in charge" of DOGE, which is something that President Donald Trump replied last week when asked. In court, however, Trump's lawyers have been unable to provide an answer for the respective judges on the leader of DOGE.
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Lawfare's Anna Bower pointed out, "In court yesterday, a Justice Department attorney told a federal judge he didn’t know whether DOGE even has an administrator."
Leavitt's comment indicated someone is in charge at DOGE, though whoever that person is has not been confirmed by Congress.
The comment led to questions and mockery from onlookers watching the clip of Leavitt.
"Seems like a thing that ought not be a secret," opined legal analyst Ken White on Bluesky.
"Also: I’m laying a bet that soon either Musk or the administration will float the idea that DOGE’s administrator and staff must be anonymous because of the threats to them. Like a king’s headsman in a mask," he added.
"So much for government of the people, by the people, and for the people," said former federal prosecutor Joyce Vance.
"It would be really cool if the press secretary revealed it elsewhere, like at a bat mitzvah, or maybe a rodeo. Crossword tournament?" joked former DOJ appointee Eric Columbus.
Leavitt's statement that Musk was "overseeing DOGE" was enough of a "confession" for legal analyst Bradley P. Moss on Bluesky.
"They've been incredibly transparent, but they cannot name the individual in charge of DOGE, the administrator, from that podium," said MSNBC host Katy Tur on Tuesday afternoon. "I'm sorry, Lisa, is this a national security position? Is this person working under cover? Is there a reason why their identity can't be known by the American public?"
MSNBC legal analyst Lisa Rubin said she thinks the secret head of DOGE is "by design" to protect Elon Musk from litigation, not because it's a secret, undercover post.
"Katie, you and I both know that every four years, the identity of thousands of political appointees is revealed in something called the Plum Book, which gathers up people of that status or designation. The other thing that's really interesting is that not only can the White House not tell the press corps who the administrator of DOGE is, but yesterday in a Washington federal courthouse, a DOJ lawyer also couldn't say who the DOGE administrator was."
Tur asked whether they "couldn't" or simply "wouldn't." The DOJ said they didn't have the information, Rubin noted.
"They were asked what Mr. Musk's role was with respect to DOGE, the Department of Justice lawyer said all I can say is he is a close advisor to the president," Rubin said. "But when asked and pressed who the administrator of DOGE was, the person did not know. And I think that's by design. I think they are making this up in some respects as they go along because they do not want Elon Musk to have to be a defendant in some of these lawsuits."
"You and I both know we've been tracking a variety of different lawsuits against DOGE, including with respect to their access to payment system info," Rubin continued.
She said she thinks the White House is working to "obfuscate who is actually running DOGE and what DOGE is, because in most cases, an agency that has the power that DOGE does needs to be run by someone who is senate confirmed and as we all know, that person is not Elon Musk."
See the clip below or at the link here.
- YouTube youtu.be