Elon to Rehire DOGE Staffer Who Resigned After Media Dug Up His Tweets
Elon Musk will reinstate a Department of Government Efficiency staffer who resigned after reporters found evidence of his past controversial remarks on social media.
Marko Elez, 25, resigned from the government reform commission Thursday after The Wall Street Journal revealed that he had made racist comments online through an anonymous account.
But Musk asked the public on Friday if Elez should be rehired.
The world’s richest man posted a poll asking whether the staffer “who made inappropriate statements via a now deleted pseudonym” should be brought back.
Over three-quarters of the hundreds of thousands of respondents answered in the affirmative.
Bring back @DOGE staffer who made inappropriate statements via a now deleted pseudonym?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 7, 2025
Vice President J.D. Vance then weighed in with his stance, extending forgiveness to Elez and agreeing that he should have a second chance.
“I obviously disagree with some of Elez’s posts, but I don’t think stupid social media activity should ruin a kid’s life,” Vance wrote.
“We shouldn’t reward journalists who try to destroy people. Ever. So I say bring him back,” he continued.
“If he’s a bad dude or a terrible member of the team, fire him for that.”
Vance’s gracious response was especially noteworthy since some of Elez’s racist remarks were against Indians. Vance’s wife, Usha, has Indian parents, and his children are half-Indian.
Hours later, Musk shared Vance’s advice and voiced his agreement.
“He will be brought back,” Musk said. “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
President Donald Trump weighed in Friday when Fox News reporter Peter Doocy asked for his opinion on the matter. Doocy told the commander in chief that Vance wanted him to return.
“Well I don’t know about that particular thing, but if the vice president said that,” Trump said, while turning to Vance and asking, “Did you say that?”
When Vance confirmed, Trump simply said, “I’m with the vice president.”
🚨REPORTER: “One of the DOGE engineers was fired for inappropriate posts. The Vice President says bring him back. What do you say?”
TRUMP: “Well I don’t know about that particular thing, but if the Vice President said so, *turns to JD Vance* Did you say that? I’m with the VP.” pic.twitter.com/QYcHqZP0wo
— Autism Capital 🧩 (@AutismCapital) February 7, 2025
On the surface, this may seem like nothing more than a momentary controversy about a single 25-year-old who made some off-color remarks.
But this whole affair actually shows how cancel culture is quite possibly over.
Conservatives have been used to getting pressured by media activists who want us to cancel people within our own ranks, even as the left tolerates some of the most odious characters imaginable.
Vance expressed his frustration at that trend, and its broader implications for our culture, in an online exchange with California Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, who is Indian, about the controversy.
“Racist trolls on the internet, while offensive, don’t threaten my kids,” Vance said. “You know what does? A culture that denies grace to people who make mistakes.”
For the sake of both of our kids? Grow up.
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. https://t.co/xpLjhfk6Bz
— JD Vance (@JDVance) February 7, 2025
“My kids, God willing, will be risk takers. They won’t think constantly about whether a flippant comment or a wrong viewpoint will follow them around for the rest of their lives,” Vance added.
“They will tell stupid jokes. They will develop views that they later think are wrong or even gross. I made mistakes as a kid, and thank God I grew up in a culture that encouraged me to grow and learn and feel remorse when I screwed up and offer grace when others did.”
We may indeed be seeing the death of political correctness before our very eyes.
Making racist remarks online should not be condoned, but neither should submitting to leftist struggle sessions, or firing young people when they make the mistakes that young people so often make.
It’s about time conservatives realized all of this. Perhaps they finally are.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
