Marko Elez, a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) software engineer, resigned Thursday after being linked to a controversial X account by a Wall Street Journal (Center bias) investigator. Elon Musk, the head of DOGE, reportedly reinstated Elez, 25, with support from Vice President J.D. Vance and President Donald Trump.

For Context: Musk tweeted a poll Friday asking if he should reinstate Elez despite “inappropriate statements,” receiving 78% support. The poll was criticized by some of Musk’s fellow conservatives, with one accusing Musk of “bowing to leftist cancellation strategies.”

Archived Posts: Posts linked to Elez stated, “You could not pay me to marry outside of my ethnicity,” “Normalize Indian hate” (in reference to a prevalent Indian population in Silicon Valley), and “I would not mind at all if Gaza and Israel were both wiped off the face of the Earth.” They were reportedly deleted before Elez joined DOGE. 

Reinstatement: Vance quote-tweeted Musk’s poll Friday, stating, “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… If he’s a bad dude or a terrible member of the team, fire him for that.” Vance was criticized for his support of Elez, given the Indian ethnicity of his wife and children. Trump supported Vance’s stance, and Musk announced Elez’s reinstatement later that day. 

How the Media Covered It: Outlets across the political spectrum varied in how they referenced the posts linked to Elez. The Hill (Center) and USA Today (Lean Left) called them “racist” while Washington Examiner (Lean Right) called them “inflammatory.” The Hill and Washington Examiner quoted the posts at the end of their articles, while USA Today did so earlier. USA Today stated Musk “lashed out at the Journal reporter” when saying he should be fired.