I think that's why Elizondo and Mellon left TTSA; it sounded like a good way to popularize and focus attention on the UFO phenomenon, but over time they realized that Tom was too "loosey goosey" (to be diplomatic). I don't know about deception, after all, they were the ones who have been instrumental in getting the attention of Congress and helped to get that
bipartisan amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act done, making it easier to come forward and talk about legacy UFO programs, etc. ELizondo was also apparently attacked by Susan Gough, and Elizondo
responded by
filing a complaint. So things in the government seem to be pretty chaotic around UAPs. I think Elizondo rubs people the wrong way because he is a spook, and still has some of those characteristics. He also can't talk about certain things --(Steve Justice too), because of NDAs, and that also doesn't help. There remains the possibility that he is still working for the government in some capacity, though, and he hinted at that once. But overall, I am sure that folks in the government are angry at him and wish he'd shut the f*ck up.