Controversy Erupts as Musk's Doge Member Resigns Over Racist Allegations

Marko Elez’s resignation follows backlash over his now-deleted account that propagated racist ideologies, igniting discussions about accountability.

In a startling turn of events, a young member of Elon Musk's newly established Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) has resigned amid accusations of promoting racist content on social media. Marko Elez, age 25, who previously worked for Musk's SpaceX, has been associated with a now-deleted account that espoused racist beliefs and eugenics principles. The White House confirmed Elez's resignation on Friday, though specific reasons were not disclosed.

Elon Musk acknowledged the issue through a poll on X, the platform he owns, querying whether he should reinstate Elez, who had made "inappropriate statements via a now deleted pseudonym." One of the troubling posts from the pseudonymous account stated, "Just for the record, I was racist before it was cool," reflecting its inflammatory nature. The account has also shared posts disparaging marriage across ethnic lines and openly promoting racial hatred, the authenticity of which has been corroborated by news sources.

The poll, garnering over 385,000 votes as of Friday morning, indicated a surprising 78% in favor of reinstating Elez, despite the serious allegations against him. Musk responded to a tweet highlighting the issue, agreeing with the sentiment that such social media behavior was unacceptable. Meanwhile, VP JD Vance commented on the controversy, suggesting that Elez's online actions should not lead to long-term consequences for a young individual, advocating for his return.

Elez's resignation arrives at a time of increasing scrutiny over the operations of Musk's Doge unit, which was formed in the early days of Trump's second term to streamline and reduce the size of the federal government. Recently, a federal judge impeded one of Doge's initiatives aimed at incentivizing voluntary resignations of federal employees, demonstrating the challenges Musk faces in reshaping governmental structures. Further complicating matters, Musk is pushing for the dismantling of USAID, an agency responsible for international development, leaving thousands of staff members in uncertainty.