Plus: President Trump signs an executive order targeting 'anti-Christian bias.' | The U.S. Treasury temporarily agrees to limit DOGE access.

A federal judge on Thursday pushed back to Monday a deadline for U.S. government employees to opt into the Trump administration's "deferred resignation" program offering workers nearly eight months of pay and benefits to leave their jobs.

To create new jobs, Elon Musk and DOGE will focus on modernizing government through technology like AI and automation.

Elon Musk arrives before the presidential inauguration in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20. (Chip Somodevilla/Pool via AP)

But two weeks into the Trump administration, the White House announced that the billionaire tech executive is operating as a “special government employee.” That designation — typically used for outside experts who provide temporary help to the government — means Musk is subject to federal conflict-of-interest rules,