Judge rules suit challenging DOGE and Elon Musk's power over government can move forward
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A federal judge ruled this week that a lawsuit targeting Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency can move forward. The lawsuit, filed by 14 states, accuses Musk and Doge of violating the U.S. Constitution by making high-level government decisions without proper appointments or congressional approval.

U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan rejected the White House's attempt to dismiss the case, saying Musk's role appears to be continuing and permanent. And the judge found, "...the states provided enough evidence to argue that Musk is making decisions that would normally require Senate-confirmed authority." Now, the lawsuit argues that Doge was never created or approved by Congress and that Trump gave Musk sweeping power illegally.

The group has been cutting agencies, firing federal workers, canceling contracts and gaining access to your sensitive data, all without the legal authority that normally applies to federal officials. Now, the White House claimed Musk only served as an advisor with no real power.

That argument didn't hold up, though. Public statements from Trump and administration officials have consistently referred to Musk as the one leading doge. Even Musk himself has repeatedly discussed the cuts and structural changes he's directed.

Judge Chutkan wrote that Musk appears to control decisions about government spending, federal contracts, and the survival of entire agencies. These responsibilities, she said, are significant authority that can't be exercised without formal appointment. And the court dismissed Trump as a defendant, but let all claims against Musk and Doge stand.

Musk's federal role has already reshaped how parts of the government operate. He's claimed that Doge has saved billions by eliminating waste and fraud. While watchdogs and budget analysts say many of those savings are inflated or unverified. Several federal programs report disruption in increased costs due to Doge's actions. Now, Musk has started retreating from D.C., but he's venting about his experience in interviews.

Speaking to CBS Sunday morning, he said he was disappointed by the recently passed Big Beautiful Bill from House Republicans. Musk criticized the bill for increasing the federal deficit and undermining Doge's work, calling it both bloated and counterproductive. And he told the Washington Post that he underestimated how difficult it would be to work inside the federal system. He said, the federal bureaucracy situation is much worse than I realized. Doge is just becoming the whipping boy for everything. Now,

saying they often, got blamed for issues that they actually didn't cause. Musk also pointed out that despite Doge's aggressive cost cutting, the White House has only prepared a $9 billion rescission request to Congress. That's just a small portion of the $2 trillion in savings that Musk initially promised. And it suggests that many of Doge's cuts may have not been legal without congressional approval.

Many of Doge's most aggressive moves are now on hold. A lawsuit brought by the states couldn't validate much of Doge's work and place new limits on how presidents can delegate authority to private individuals. Meanwhile, Democrats are pointing to Musk's role as a symbol of what they say is Trump's disregard for normal legal procedures. And the court's next steps will include gathering evidence and reviewing how much real power Musk had.

and whether that power was legal. If the court finds Musk's role unconstitutional, Doge's actions could be rolled back, and the case could reset how the executive branch works with private figures moving forward. The lawsuit questioning Elon Musk's federal authority is moving forward, and the outcome could reshape how the government appoints and delegates power.