Elon Musk defends former employee after social media controversy
Elon Musk has announced that he will reinstate an employee of his newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) who resigned following allegations of racist social media activity.
“He will be brought back,” Musk declared on X, the social media platform he owns. “To err is human, to forgive divine.”
The decision follows widespread media reports linking Marko Elez, a 25-year-old former SpaceX employee, to a now-deleted social media account that had posted inflammatory remarks. The controversy had led to Elez’s resignation from Doge, a cost-cutting advisory body created under the Trump administration.
Support from political figures
Vice-President JD Vance voiced his support for Elez, arguing that the young staffer should be given a second chance. “While I disagree with some of Elez’s posts,” Vance wrote on X, “I don’t think stupid social media activity should ruin a kid’s life.”
On Friday, President Donald Trump was asked about Elez’s resignation and Vance’s comments. He responded, “I don’t know about that particular thing,” but noted that he agreed with his vice-president’s stance on the matter.
Public opinion shapes musk’s decision
Before confirming Elez’s return, Musk conducted an online poll on X, asking users whether the employee should be reinstated. The poll attracted hundreds of thousands of participants, with at least 78% voting in favour of Elez’s return.
Musk also addressed concerns raised by users. One individual commented that Musk should have a discussion with Elez “about the racist stuff. Not cool.” To this, Musk replied succinctly, “True.”
Growing scrutiny of doge
The controversy surrounding Elez has emerged amid increasing scrutiny of Doge, which was established to identify and implement government cost-cutting measures. The group has faced criticism for its aggressive stance on reducing government spending.
Just a day before Elez’s resignation, a US judge blocked one of Doge’s initiatives, which sought to offer incentives to federal employees to voluntarily resign. The legal setback has temporarily halted efforts to downsize the federal workforce.
Musk has also been leading an initiative to dismantle the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), arguing that it is a bloated agency draining taxpayer funds. Under the proposed plan, all but a handful of essential staff—out of USAID’s 10,000-strong workforce—would be placed on administrative leave starting Friday at midnight. This move includes thousands of employees stationed overseas.
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A Pattern of controversial decisions
This is not the first time Musk has courted controversy by standing by employees facing backlash. His leadership style has often involved making abrupt decisions influenced by public opinion on X, a platform he has actively used to shape discourse around his businesses and policies.
Observers have pointed out that Musk’s decision to reinstate Elez is emblematic of his broader approach to governance and corporate management, where public sentiment often plays a pivotal role in key staffing and policy decisions.
The bigger picture
As Musk and the Trump administration push forward with their cost-cutting and restructuring efforts, Doge remains at the centre of a broader debate on the role of government spending and efficiency. With Elez’s return now confirmed, attention will shift to how Doge continues to navigate its mandate and the controversies that arise along the way.
For now, Musk’s decision underscores his belief in second chances—though whether the move will be widely accepted remains to be seen.
