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US President Donald Trump has weighed in on the controversy surrounding Marko Elez, a former staffer of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), who resigned after past social media posts resurfaced advocating racism, eugenics, and hostility toward Indian immigrants.
Vice President JD Vance also weighed in on the resignation of Marko Elez, a 25-year-old staffer from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, whose past social media activity sparked outrage. Elez, who allegedly posted racist and eugenicist statements on X (formerly Twitter), stepped down after The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) exposed his inflammatory remarks.
The controversy erupted when WSJ reported that Elez had posted statements supporting eugenics and expressing hostility toward Indian immigrants. In a December 2024 post, Elez wrote, “Indian workers in the US on H1B visas are going back, don’t worry guys.” His stance directly contradicts Musk’s own pro-immigration stance, as the billionaire has previously defended the H1B visa program, even vowing to “go to war” to protect it.
Another post attributed to Elez read, “I would not mind at all if Gaza and Israel were both wiped off the face of the Earth,” further fueling criticism of his extremist views. The backlash was swift, with Elez’s resignation coming soon after the revelations.
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Trump and Vance React
When asked about Elez’s resignation and controversial past, US President Donald Trump initially distanced himself, claiming he was unaware of the situation. However, when informed that JD Vance had spoken in favour of Elez, Trump quickly aligned himself with his Vice President.
“Well, I don’t know about that particular thing, but if the Vice President said so… did you say that?” Trump asked, turning to Vance. “I’m with the VP.”
Vance, for his part, suggested that Elez should not be punished for past social media activity, implying that the backlash was excessive. His defence of Elez, however, drew fresh criticism, particularly because of his personal background. Vance is married to Usha Vance, who is of Indian origin, yet he did not explicitly condemn Elez’s anti-Indian sentiments.