Time Cover with Musk in the Oval Office.
In a bold move that could provoke President Donald Trump, Time magazine’s latest print cover features Elon Musk sitting behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office.
The image suggests that Musk, not Trump, is the true force shaping the administration, a narrative that could fuel tensions between the two powerful figures.
The cover comes as Musk wields unprecedented authority over the federal workforce through his Department of Government Efficiency. However, recent lawsuits have slowed some of his sweeping cuts. The magazine’s accompanying article, written by Simon Schuster and Brian Bennett, describes how Musk’s influence has left “millions of government workers at his mercy.”
This marks the second time in recent months that Musk has graced the magazine’s cover, with a previous issue in November dubbing him “Citizen Musk” and a “kingmaker” in the presidential election. The latest cover reinforces the idea that Musk is operating as the real power in Washington—a notion that could irritate Trump, who has long been captivated by Time’s prestige and resents sharing the spotlight.
When asked about the cover on Friday, Trump dismissed it with a jab.
“Is Time magazine still in business?” he joked. “I didn’t even know that.”
The comparison to past Trump insiders is striking. The situation mirrors Time’s 2017 cover featuring Steve Bannon, who was once seen as the mastermind behind Trump’s first administration. The magazine branded Bannon “the great manipulator,” and pop culture depicted him as the real force behind the presidency. The perception of Bannon overshadowing Trump ultimately led to his ousting from the White House.
The Time story is hard hitting and revealing as a quiet but dramatic standoff unfolded at 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue when Elon Musk’s team arrived at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), demanding full access to its headquarters. The agency’s staff refused, and while no force was used, the confrontation signaled the radical shifts taking place in the early days of the Trump administration.
On one side stood USAID, a decades-old institution with a $35 billion budget and a global mission. On the other was Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an informal group of temporary staffers with no established legal authority but empowered by Musk and President Donald Trump to dismantle federal agencies.
For days, Musk’s team had been inside USAID, reviewing operations and questioning employees. When security officials pushed back against their demands for access to classified facilities, DOGE operatives threatened to call U.S. Marshals. Musk himself escalated the situation by publicly calling USAID a “criminal organization” and declaring, “Time for it to die.”
Within hours, USAID—an agency that delivers food, water, and medical aid to millions—was rendered nearly inoperable. Offices worldwide were shut down, and nearly all employees were placed on leave. The abrupt takeover sent a clear message across Washington: Musk, with Trump’s backing, was in control.
DOGE had already taken over the U.S. Digital Service and gained access to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Other agencies, including the Education Department, feared they were next. When a Treasury official refused DOGE access to the federal payment system, he was forced to resign, and the newly appointed Treasury Secretary quickly complied with Musk’s demands.
No private citizen has ever wielded such unchecked influence over the U.S. government. Musk appears accountable only to Trump, who granted him sweeping authority to reshape the federal bureaucracy. When asked about the controversy, the White House declined to comment.
Trump’s supporters see Musk’s aggressive reforms as long overdue, arguing that the federal government is bloated and inefficient. Conservative think tanks have praised the effort, calling it a necessary step toward cutting government waste.
However, critics warn that Musk’s unchecked power is undermining democracy. Government workers fear mass firings, while international aid programs face abrupt shutdowns. Farmers, manufacturers, and tech companies could soon feel the ripple effects of disrupted federal operations.
An assistant to Elon Musk has been accused of secretly residing in a federal agency building while working for Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), reportedly bringing his wife and young child with him.
“One of Musk’s top lieutenants and his family have taken up residence on the sixth floor of our agency and are living there,” an anonymous speaker revealed at a packed town hall meeting on Monday night. The event, hosted by Democratic Representative Suhas Subramanyam in Leesburg, Virginia, drew a concerned crowd as federal employees voiced grievances over DOGE’s aggressive moves to restructure government operations.
The speaker did not specify which agency was involved, but the claim has fueled growing concerns over Musk’s influence within federal institutions and the unconventional methods employed by his team.
Lawsuits are mounting as unions and lawmakers push back. Federal judges have already blocked Trump’s attempt to freeze trillions in spending and delayed the administration’s mass resignation offer for government employees. Even some of Musk’s supporters in Silicon Valley warn that he is overreaching.
On Capitol Hill, Democratic lawmakers are preparing for a legal showdown. “We don’t have a fourth branch of government called Elon Musk,” said Representative Jamie Raskin. Yet, for thousands of federal employees now locked out of their offices, Musk’s authority over their jobs is already a reality.
The question remains: how far will Musk go, and is there anything that can stop him?
Unlike Bannon, Musk has so far avoided public comment on his latest recognition, despite his frequent use of social media to engage with critics. His position within the administration remains strong, as Trump has given him significant control over workforce cuts and federal restructuring.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt reinforced Musk’s authority on Wednesday, stating that Trump has assured him full discretion in handling government contracts, with the only condition being that Musk must recuse himself from decisions that present conflicts of interest.
With Time’s latest cover stirring speculation, it remains to be seen whether Trump will tolerate Musk’s rising influence—or if history will repeat itself with another high-profile White House shake-up.
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