Elon Musk has reinstated Marko Elez, a former member of his Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) unit, despite Elez’s association with a racist social media account. Elez resigned amid controversy but will now return to his position.
Musk Confirms Elez’s Return
On Friday, Musk announced on X, the platform he owns, that Elez would be reinstated. Elez, 25, was at the center of a legal dispute over access to a U.S. government payment system and had also worked for SpaceX. Defending his decision, Musk posted, “To err is human, to forgive divine.”
The controversy surrounding Elez escalated after the Wall Street Journal revealed on Thursday that he owned a now-deleted social media account that promoted racist views and eugenics. Some of the most inflammatory posts included:
- “Just for the record, I was racist before it was cool.”
- “You could not pay me to marry outside of my ethnicity.”
- “Normalize Indian hate.”
Musk turned to X users for their input, launching a poll that gathered 385,000 votes, with 78% favoring Elez’s reinstatement.
Political Figures Support Musk’s Decision
Musk’s decision received support from Vice President JD Vance, who defended Elez while criticizing the media for exposing his social media history.
“I obviously disagree with some of Elez’s posts,” Vance stated. “But I don’t think stupid social media activity should ruin a kid’s life.” He added that job performance—not online behavior—should determine employment.
When asked about the matter, former President Donald Trump said he was unfamiliar with the details but backed Vance. “If the vice president said that … I’m with the vice president.”
Elez’s History of Controversial Statements
Elez has a documented history of inflammatory comments, particularly against Indian workers on H-1B visas. In December, he posted:
“99% of Indian H1Bs will be replaced by slightly smarter LLMs. They’re going back, don’t worry guys.”
This statement contradicts Musk’s stance on immigration and skilled labor, as Tesla relies on the H-1B visa program to recruit foreign workers. Musk has clashed with far-right figures in the Trump administration who seek stricter immigration policies.
The Wall Street Journal also linked Elez to the X account @marko_elez, where he described himself as a SpaceX and Starlink employee. His past comments included radical views on geopolitics, such as:
“I would not mind at all if Gaza and Israel were both wiped off the face of the Earth.”
Government Access and Resignation
According to the Wall Street Journal, Elez resigned after the White House investigated his social media history. His resignation occurred just hours after a court ruled that he and another Doge employee could retain limited access to the U.S. Treasury Department’s payment system.
The system contains financial data of millions of Americans, but the court barred Elez from altering or sharing any information.
Since Trump’s return to office, Musk’s Doge unit has disrupted federal operations, including the shutdown of USAID, the country’s international aid agency. Musk continues to advocate for eliminating what he considers wasteful government spending.
With Elez’s reinstatement, critics argue that Musk’s influence over the federal government is growing. His decisions, including hiring controversial figures, cutting government programs, and reshaping federal spending policies, are likely to remain under intense scrutiny.
