‘Normalise hate’: Trump, Musk, Vance want to rehire Doge staffer linked to racist posts
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Billionaire Elon Musk (pictured) on Feb 7 said a staffer who quit Doge after being linked to racism will be rehired, adding that “to err is human, to forgive, divine”.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump, US Vice-President J.D. Vance and billionaire Elon Musk are calling for Mr Marko Elez, the staffer who quit the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) after a report linked him to racism and eugenics, to return to his federal government job.
Mr Vance, who wrote on X that while he did not agree with some of Mr Elez’s comments, he did not “think stupid social media activity should ruin a kid’s life”.
“We shouldn’t reward journalists who try to destroy people. Ever. So I say, bring him back,” he said.
Mr Trump, asked about Mr Vance’s post on Feb 7, said: “I’m with the Vice-President.”
Earning the backing of the trio of Washington’s most powerful men is a quick turnaround for Mr Elez, who before he resigned earlier this week had been granted access to some of the Treasury Department’s most sensitive internal systems.
He was working as part of Mr Musk’s Doge initiative to review government expenses
In his online comments under a pseudonym, Mr Elez within the last year advocated for “eugenic immigration policy” and rolling back the Civil Rights Act, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
“Normalise Indian hate,” one post said.
“Just for the record, I was racist before it was cool,” another said. “You could not pay me to marry outside of my ethnicity.”
Mr Musk on Feb 7 wrote on X that Mr Elez “will be brought back”, adding that “to err is human, to forgive, divine”.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Bloomberg News this week that he has confidence in the people Mr Musk has sent to his agency.
“These are highly trained professionals,” he said.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment about whether Mr Elez has been rehired.
Concerning details have also emerged about another Doge staffer: Mr Edward Coristine, 19, was fired from an internship after he was accused of sharing information with a competitor. BLOOMBERG
