Elon Musk reinstated a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) aide Friday, just one day after the staffer resigned following reports that he operated an inflammatory social media account.
The aide, 25-year-old Marko Elez, had stepped down Thursday after The Wall Street Journal linked him to a pseudonymous X account reportedly containing racist posts. His return followed a Friday morning poll by Musk asking users whether to rehire Elez, with 78% of over 385,000 participants voting yes. Vice President JD Vance also backed Elez’s reinstatement, arguing “we shouldn’t reward journalists who try to destroy people.”
“He will be brought back,” Musk wrote. “To err is human, to forgive divine.”
🫡
He will be brought back.
To err is human, to forgive divine. https://t.co/TV6SJIb5P6
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 7, 2025
Elez had reportedly made multiple inflammatory remarks in the now-deleted posts, including calls to “normalize Indian hate.” The user also bragged that he was “racist before it was cool,” adding that “you couldn’t pay me to marry outside of my ethnicity,” according to the outlet.
“I obviously disagree with some of Elez’s posts, but I don’t think stupid social media activity should ruin a kid’s life,” the vice president wrote after Musk’s poll closed. “We shouldn’t reward journalists who try to destroy people. Ever. So I say bring him back. If he’s a bad dude or a terrible member of the team, fire him for that.”
Here’s my view:
I obviously disagree with some of Elez’s posts, but I don’t 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.
If he’s a bad dude or a terrible member of… https://t.co/OgG6Z3hKPE
— JD Vance (@JDVance) February 7, 2025
Democratic California Rep. Ro Khanna, a child of Indian immigrants, responded by asking Vance if Elez would have to apologize as a prerequisite for his reinstatement, adding, “Just asking for the sake of both of our kids.” Vance, whose wife is also the child of Indian immigrants, responded in a series of posts.
“For the sake of both of our kids? Grow up,” Vance wrote. “Racist trolls on the internet, while offensive, don’t threaten my kids. You know what does? A culture that denies grace to people who make mistakes. A culture that encourages congressmen to act like whiny children.”
