WASHINGTON (TNND) — The White House has reportedly rejected an offer from Elon Musk to cover U.S. Transportation Security Administration officer paychecks during the ongoing partial government shutdown.
On Wednesday, CBS News’ senior White House reporter, Jennifer Jacobs, broke the news of the administration’s decision in a post on X.
The offer was taken seriously by Trump administration officials, but they believe the shutdown is likely to end soon, the outlet said, also noting potential legal challenges for Musk to fund the pay because of his contracts with the government.
On Saturday, the Tesla CEO and billionaire offered to fund the salaries of the TSA workers in a social media post.
“I would like to offer to pay the salaries of TSA personnel during this funding impasse that is negatively affecting the lives of so many Americans at airports throughout the country,” Musk wrote.
On Monday, President Donald Trump appeared to support the idea of allowing Musk’s help, telling reporters, “I’d love it. I think it’s great. Let him do that.”
It was unclear whether an arrangement like this would even be allowed, as federal workers are typically paid through congressional appropriations and subject to strict rules governing compensation. According to the Office of Government Ethics, an outside individual is legally barred from paying government employees directly.
TSA workers will miss their second full paycheck since the shutdown began this Friday. The only paycheck they received was for half pay at the start of the shutdown.
Musk’s proposal came as TSA officers, like many federal employees, face uncertainty during the funding lapse, raising concerns about staffing shortages, longer security lines, and broader travel disruptions at some of the country’s biggest airports.
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The National News Desk’s Jessica Botelho contributed to this report.
