When Senator Bernie Sanders encourages large demonstrations, there is one name, which is particularly touched by the crowd: Elon Musk. “Down with him,” he recently shouted to thousands of cheering fans in Los Angeles, an independent senator from Vermont. This is not Donald Trump, but the head of Tesla is currently causing the rage of Democrats and the left. This is because the president's main adviser is responsible for cuts in government programs and releasing civil service officials.
However, the days when the Muska Government Efficiency Department (Doge) went to the first pages of newspapers every day, came to an end. It got quiet around the billionaire. At the beginning of the month, information appeared that he would “soon” leave the government. However, his “silent retreat” began even earlier.
Musk goes into the shadow
The contrast between Elon Musk from the beginning of Trump's presidency is huge. In January, the newly appointed government adviser did not leave Trump a step, gave double interviews with him and willingly took the role of a lightning rod for criticism towards the president.
After taking office, he declared that he would save a trillion dollars, and in the best case even two. It quickly became clear that this purpose would subordinate everything: government agencies were closed overnight and their employees were dismissed. He did not care that these moves were controversial from the point of view of the law.
EPA / Samuel Corum / PAP
Elon Musk and Donald Trump, Washington, USA, March 11, 2025.
Federal officials received emails asking for five things they did during the week. They were told that the lack of response would be tantamount to release. Under the threat of using police force, Muska employees gained access to buildings and computer systems.
Then the democrats took the billionaire to the crosshairs. “Anti-Doge” protests began to take place again and again throughout the country, sometimes with the participation of several hundred people in small towns or with thousands, if politicians called for them to organize.
In the meantime, Musk's behavior has changed completely. When he speaks, he does it in a much more moderate way. At the end of March, he gave an interview for the Fox News television channel, in which he tried to alleviate the mood and present himself as a servant of “common good”. “After all, America will be much better,” he said.
In other statements he even criticized the US President. For example, after Trump announced on April 2 “the day of liberation” in which he imposed duties to the whole world, Musk followed zero tariffs. He also sharply criticized Trump's commercial advisor, Peter Navarro, who is considered the main originator of tariff policy, stating that “he is stupid than a bag of bricks.”
He is not so conceited anymore. While at the first meeting of the Trump's office he took the floor first, and at later meetings he criticized its individual members, such as the Secretary of State Marco Rubio, now he is more restrained. The office is “fantastic”, Doge does “many good things”, which will lead to “better service of Americans”, he assured last week. He also talked about savings of $ 150 billion. (PLN 565 billion). There was no longer about billion.
The chain saw has been turned off
A more restrained image of Musk goes hand in hand with limiting his influence. At the beginning of March, Trump made it to the members of his office that they did not have to agree to everything that Musk would come up with. He assured them that they could decide where to introduce savings. “Skalpel, not an ax” – Trump wrote then on the Truth Social platform, describing a new approach. The chain saw, which Musk received as a gift from President Argentina Javier Milei at the end of February, was excluded.
More and more heads of departments began to write to their officials that they did not have to send Musk weekly work reports. Initially, some still did it, but now even employees of the National Health Institute are no longer responding to Muska's email.
Continuation of the material under the video
The White House also began to reduce the influence and position of Musk. Finally, his nomination for a “special employee” was caught by the government in legal problems. There are several lawsuits in progress, which the authors argue that Musk does not have the right to do everything that Doge does.
In court testimonies, the White House admitted that Musk actually has no broad rights. “Mr. Musk is an employee of the White House. Mr. Musk is not the administrator of the dog,” says the White House statement made at the District Court in Washington.
In another lawsuit before the Federal Court in Maryland, the Department of Justice explained that “Mr. Musk does not exercise any office and [nie] He has the right to legally issue USAID instructions or any other agency. “The judge issued a temporary ban preventing Musk and the dog of closing government agencies. In both cases, the Court of Appeal must now make the decision.
Thanks to Musk's resignation from the advisory position, the government will avoid legal problems that could result from his further commitment. However, there is no doubt that the dog mission will continue. No institution, no program is currently resistant to cutting. Recently, Trump expressed the hope that Doge employees would remain in positions. “I hope your people will continue working,” Musk told Musk last week.
Motivator for the opposition
With Musk's departure, the political attacks of his opponents can also dissolve in the air. The head of Tesla became not only a welcome “scare” for Senator Sanders, with the help of whom he mobilizes his supporters. He also became a good motivator for the opposition.
For example, the Democrats won a clear victory in the election as a new judge of the Supreme Court of Wisconsin, because Musk aggressively supported the Republican candidate. The head of Doge turned out to be a miserable traffic horse of the election campaign.
This is also confirmed by the indicators of its popularity. According to the Silver Bulletin survey, 53 percent Americans have a negative opinion about a muscle – This is a record high result. During the presidential election in November last year it was only 44 percent.
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
