Elon Musk, who has moved swiftly to shrink the size of the U.S. government at President Donald Trump's behest, is now considered a "special government employee," the White House said on Monday.

Three weeks in, the change the Trump administration has brought is a disruption of the federal government on an unprecedented scale, dismantling longstanding programs, sparking widespread public outcry and challenging the very role of Congress to create the nation’s laws and pay its bills.