Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) has voiced concerns over Elon Musk’s role in the incoming Trump-Vance administration, where he has been tasked with co-leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) alongside entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
In a letter sent Monday to President-elect Donald Trump, Warren called for strict conflict-of-interest rules to govern Musk’s position, citing his extensive business ties and government contracts.
The letter, first reported by The Washington Post, outlines Warren’s apprehensions about Musk’s dual role as a government adviser and the head of companies like Tesla, SpaceX, and X (formerly Twitter).
Celebrate Trump's Historic 2024 Victory with the Exclusive Trump 47th President Collection!
She argued that without enforceable ethics agreements, Musk’s involvement could lead to corruption on an unprecedented scale.
“Putting Mr. Musk in a position to influence billions of dollars of government contracts and regulatory enforcement without a stringent conflict of interest agreement in place is an invitation for corruption on a scale not seen in our lifetimes,” Warren wrote.
She questioned whether Musk would recuse himself from matters involving his companies and accused the Trump transition team of not providing sufficient transparency.
In a recent interview with Time magazine, Trump dismissed Warren’s concerns, defending Musk’s appointment and commitment to the role. “I think that Elon puts the country long before his company,” Trump said. “He considers this to be his most important project, and he wanted to do it.”
Warren’s letter also included 14 questions for the Trump team, addressing the ethics rules Musk and others involved in the DOGE initiative would adhere to.
She pressed for assurances that Musk would avoid conflicts of interest in any decision-making related to his businesses.
“Currently, the American public has no way of knowing whether the advice that he is whispering to you in secret is good for the country — or merely good for his own bottom line,” Warren added.
Karoline Leavitt, press secretary for the Trump campaign and the transition team, dismissed Warren’s criticism in a strongly worded statement. “President Trump has assembled the most impressive and qualified team of innovators, entrepreneurs, and geniuses to advise and staff our government,” Leavitt stated. “Pocahontas can play political games and send toothless letters, but the Trump-Vance transition will continue to be held to the highest ethical and legal standards possible — a standard unfamiliar to a career politician whose societal impact is 1/1024th of Elon Musk’s.”
Elizabeth Warren sent a letter to Trump raising concerns about Elon Musk’s role as a top adviser and potential “conflicts of interest.”
Trump’s team fired back, calling her “Pocahontas.” pic.twitter.com/rXjez341Fl
— TFTC (@TFTC21) December 17, 2024
Leavitt’s response reignited the controversy over Warren’s past claims of Native American ancestry, which she once used to advance her academic career.
Warren had listed herself as Native American on professional forms, a claim that later faced widespread scrutiny.
Warren has continued her campaign against Musk, appearing on MSNBC’s All In with Chris Hayes on Tuesday to raise additional concerns. “Millions of dollars worth of government contracts. Millions of touch points where there are rules that will affect those companies,” Warren said of Musk’s businesses.
She alleged that Musk’s influence over Trump could lead to regulatory rollbacks or interference in investigations involving his companies.
“This is a conflict of interest at a level that we have never before seen in this country,” Warren declared. “The American public has a right to know who’s giving this kind of advice to Donald Trump.”
How did Liz Warren make $60 million as a Senator?
— Spliffymagoo.ron 🦇🔊 (@spliffymagoo) December 18, 2024
Musk, known for his combative social media presence, took to X to poke fun at Warren. Using the nickname “Pocahontas,” a term popularized by Trump, Musk mocked her criticisms with humor and posts generated by X’s AI assistant, Grok.
Made with @Grokhttps://t.co/1cfbK7etiN
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 17, 2024
The exchange highlights the growing tension between Warren, Musk, and the Trump administration as the transition continues.
While Warren presses for greater transparency, Trump and his team remain firm in their defense of Musk’s appointment, setting the stage for further clashes over ethics and governance in the new administration.
Join the Discussion
COMMENTS POLICY: We have no tolerance for messages of violence, racism, vulgarity, obscenity or other such discourteous behavior. Thank you for contributing to a respectful and useful online dialogue.
This is great coverage.
Warren never complained when Senator Feinstein had huge interests in government contracts, including the VA, post office, and defense related.