These suits will no doubt proceed in the weeks and months ahead, as it falls to the courts to hold Musk accountable for his blatant indifference to the law. But beyond his individual actions, Musk’s role raises more fundamental questions.

President Donald Trump’s public statements contradict the legal positions of his White House, which previously said billionaire Elon Musk isn’t technically running the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) that's tasked with identifying wide-ranging cuts across the government.

The White House says billionaire Elon Musk is not the administrator of the Department of Government Efficiency team sweeping through federal agencies, but rather a senior adviser to President Donald Trump.