Amy Gleason, the acting administrator of the U.S. DOGE Service, isn't a household name. But as Elon Musk’s effort to dramatically reduce the federal government faces legal challenges, the nurse-turned-programmer has been thrust into the spotlight.

Summary

Amy Gleason, a health tech expert who worked on Trump’s pandemic response, is now acting administrator of DOGE, though her authority remains unclear amid disputes over the agency’s true leader.

A federal judge questioned whether Musk’s role violates the Constitution’s appointments clause, forcing the Trump administration to abruptly confirm Gleason’s appointment after weeks of evasion. Yet Trump continues to publicly acknowledge Elon Musk as DOGE’s head.

Gleason, who founded the failed health tech company CareSync and later worked at the US Digital Service, has no prior ties to Musk but joined Trump’s transition team in December 2024.