A young member of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) unit has stepped down following revelations of racist social media activity. The Wall Street Journal first reported that the account, linked to Marko Elez, shared incendiary comments, which the BBC later confirmed as authentic. These developments have added to the growing scrutiny of Doge, a cost-cutting advisory group established during the Trump administration.
The controversial posts included statements such as "Just for the record, I was racist before it was cool," and "You could not pay me to marry outside of my ethnicity." A third post read, "Normalize Indian hate." Although the account was deleted, screenshots were preserved and continued to circulate online. Marko Elez, the individual behind these posts, is a 25-year-old former SpaceX employee.
Elon Musk acknowledged Elez's resignation and subsequently engaged his followers on his social media platform, X, by posting a poll asking whether he should rehire the staffer. This poll attracted significant attention, garnering over 385,000 responses, reflecting the contentious nature of the situation.
The White House confirmed Elez's resignation but refrained from specifying the reasons behind it. Meanwhile, Vice-president JD Vance expressed his disagreement with some of Elez's views but argued that such posts should not irreparably damage a young person's life.
"You could not pay me to marry outside of my ethnicity," – a post on the account
The Doge unit, tasked with advising on government efficiency and cost-cutting measures, faces heightened scrutiny in light of this incident. As the public discourse around accountability and freedom of expression continues to evolve, organizations like Doge find themselves navigating complex social and ethical landscapes.
"Just for the record, I was racist before it was cool," – a post from the pseudonymous account