Staffer with Elon Musk’s DOGE Amplified White Supremacists Online
By Alexandra Alper and Raphael Satter
February 7, 2025 2:30 PM EST Updated an hour ago
WASHINGTON, Feb 7 (Reuters) – A recent investigation reveals that a key figure working alongside billionaire Elon Musk in his ambitious bid to reform the U.S. government has been involved in sharing and promoting controversial content online, linked to white supremacists and misogynists.
Gavin Kliger, a Berkeley-educated computer scientist, is identified as “Special Advisor to the Director” at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). This organization is at the forefront of Musk’s strategy to reduce the size of the federal workforce. Kliger’s connections to Musk’s inner circle were underscored by a USAID email, seen by Reuters, which included Kliger and was circulated to international aid agency staff, urging them to remain home during an agency shutdown.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Kliger graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2020 with a near-perfect GPA of 3.95, holding degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. While Reuters was able to confirm his attendance at Berkeley, other specifics of his professional background remain unverified.
Kliger is among approximately a dozen individuals, identified by various media outlets, that have been enlisted by Musk and his DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) initiative to fundamentally reshape federal governance. The precise nature and impact of Kliger’s contributions to OPM’s agenda remain unclear, as Reuters was unable to assess his level of influence within the organization.
Delving deeper into his online activity, social media posts from October 2024 to January indicate that Kliger has not only expressed divisive opinions but has also amplified content from notorious figures such as white supremacist Nick Fuentes and self-styled misogynist Andrew Tate.
An OPM spokeswoman opted not to comment on Kliger’s activities on social media. Meanwhile, Kliger remained unresponsive to repeated email and text inquiries for comment. Soon after receiving Reuters’ request for his viewpoint on Thursday, Kliger’s X account was abruptly made private, limiting public accessibility.
An analysis of Kliger’s digital footprint reveals that he once shared a contentious December 4 post from Fuentes’ X account. Although Kliger later retracted that endorsement, Reuters managed to scrutinize a preserved copy of the repost using the Internet Archive.
Fuentes’ original message contained derogatory remarks about an image portraying a seemingly white couple alongside two light-skinned children and a dark-skinned baby, criticizing what appeared to be an interracial adoption. His language included the derogatory term “huzz” to reference women. Despite attempts, Reuters could not determine the identity or ethnicity of individuals shown in the image. Efforts to obtain a comment from Fuentes regarding this post went unanswered.
As Musk’s associates, including Kliger, take on pivotal roles in reimagining government structures, their ideological stances have drawn attention and scrutiny. This scenario raises questions over the ethical boundaries and responsibilities of those in influential positions, particularly when their digital histories reflect contentious or harmful ideologies.
Additional Reporting by Tim Reid in Washington and Julia Harte in New York; Reporting by Alexandra Alper; Editing by Chris Sanders and Daniel Wallis
Raphael Satter
Thomson Reuters
https://www.linkedin.com/in/raphaelsatter/
Reporter covering cybersecurity, surveillance, and disinformation for Reuters. My work has included investigations into state-sponsored espionage, deepfake-driven propaganda, and mercenary hacking.
