Episode Details

The White House turned down an offer from Tesla chief and former special government employee Elon Musk to pay Transportation Security Administration officers during the partial government shutdown, a White House spokesperson told Forbes. Read the full story on Forbes: ByAntonio Pequeño IV

https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2026/03/25/white-house-refuses-elon-musks-offer-to-pay-tsa-staff-amid-partial-government-shutdown/

KEY FACTS

• The rejected offer, first reported by CBS News, would have provided money for TSA agents who have gone without pay for nearly six weeks.
• Musk made the offer last weekend in a post on X, with President Trump telling reporters Monday he would “love it.”
• White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Forbes that while the White House appreciated Musk’s proposal, it “would pose great legal challenges due to his involvement with federal government contracts.” 
• Jackson said the fastest way to pay TSA employees is for “Democrats to fund the Department of Homeland Security,” referring to disagreements between Democrats and Republicans over a standalone funding bill that would fund DHS and the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, which will create changes to the U.S. voting system including a requirement for voter identification.
• The cost to fund TSA agents would be around $250 million, CBS reported, citing two unnamed sources.

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