White House turns down Elon Musk’s offer to pay TSA workers during DHS shutdown over ‘legal challenges’

TSA personnel are working without pay due to the partial government shutdown
Billionaire Elon Musk’s offer to pay TSA personnel during the partial government shutdown poses “great legal challenges,” according to the White House.

“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 Monday on his X platform.

The White House has now rejected Musk’s offer, CBS News first reported Wednesday.

When asked about the decision, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told The Independent : “We greatly appreciate Elon’s generous offer.

This would pose great legal challenges due to his involvement with federal government contracts.”
This comes after President Donald Trump praised Musk’s offer earlier this week.

“I’d love it.

I think it's great.

Let him do that,” the president told reporters Monday.

The Independent has requested comment from Musk.

“Many have received eviction notices, lost their childcare, missed bill payments and been charged late fees, damaged their credit, defaulted on loans, and have been unable to even qualify for a loan to help ease the financial burden during the shutdown,” she added.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Wednesday that Senate Democrats are to blame for not cutting a deal with Republicans and the president to fund the agency.

“We have attempted in good faith numerous times … to go to the Democrats with reasonable offers,” she said.

“The cruelty is the point.

They want this chaos.”
Democrats are calling for reforms to immigration enforcement tactics before agreeing to approve funding for the agency.

Trump may send in National Guard members to assist in airports, he announced Wednesday on Truth Social .

The president also praised the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who have been deployed to more than a dozen airports across the country.

“Thank you to our great ICE Patriots for helping.

It makes a big difference,” he wrote.

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