Elon Musk may have worn out his welcome in D.C.
A new report from Politico says President Donald Trump is quieting concerns within the White House around the Department of Government Efficiency head, telling associates that Musk will soon be shown the door.
Musk's hack-and-slash tactics and lack of subtlety on the mic have frustrated Republicans, per the magazine. An unnamed Trump ally told the outlet that Elon "takes a lot of bullets for Trump," serving as the face for certain unpopular priorities of the Trump administration. Even in that useful role, Musk's tendency to directly attack popular programs like Social Security have made him a nuisance for party strategists.
“There’s a lack of an understanding about communications and why it’s important, that you massage things, that you talk about things, that you qualify things — they just don’t do it,” one Trump ally shared.
Another anonymous Trump adviser Musk was far from the "genius" tinkerer that Republicans pitched to the public.
"He's a one-man wrecking ball," they shared.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called the report from Politico "garbage" in a post to X.
"Elon Musk and President Trump have both *publicly* stated that Elon will depart from public service as a special government employee when his incredible work at DOGE is complete," she wrote.
The news comes as Musk's popularity is flagging among voters. A new poll from Marquette University Law School found that 60% of Americans have an unfavorable view of the billionaire and nearly the same share think he's doing a bad job as the head of DOGE.
