Some Republicans are suggesting that Elon Musk has served his purpose in the Trump administration and may be most helpful to President Donald Trump going forward by stepping back from his role heading the Department of Government Efficiency.
Before taking office in January, Trump tasked Musk and DOGE with focusing on streamlining government and reducing federal spending by finding waste, fraud, and abuse.
As of Thursday morning, the official DOGE website estimated it has saved $140 billion, which averages to $869.57 for each taxpayer.
However, Musk was front and center as Republicans campaigned to win a key election for the Wisconsin Supreme Court on Tuesday, when liberal judge Susan Crawford defeated conservative Brad Schimel. The DOGE chief contributed roughly $25 million in support of Schimel.
"At this point, I'd imagine folks inside the White House, maybe even President Trump himself, are wondering if Musk wouldn't be more helpful on the outside, as just the money man," a former Trump administration official told the Washington Examiner.
"He's just drawing too much heat. DOGE has already gotten agencies to submit their reduction plans. We don't really need him anymore, at least on the inside."
Some GOP members say Musk should learn from the election results in the battleground Badger State, where the Tesla and SpaceX CEO wore Green Bay Packers headgear at a rally on Sunday.
"DOGE is doing good work, but he made this Wisconsin race all about himself — showing up to the rally wearing a cheesehead," one person told the Examiner.
"He basically invited every Democrat in the state to personally come out and vote, and that type of s*** obviously doesn't help."
A senior Republican Senate aide told the Examiner that something needs to change with Musk, DOGE, or both.
"I think we all want to get rid of waste and corruption in the federal government, but many of us have been worried about how Musk has been dismantling things so quickly," the aide said Wednesday.
"I think [Tuesday's] result in Wisconsin is a warning that either DOGE slows things down, or we cut ties with Musk altogether."
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., though, blamed Schimel's loss on "Trump derangement syndrome."
"I think Musk helped. Democrats are just all fired up. Trump derangement syndrome is alive and well in Wisconsin," Johnson told the Examiner. "They really turned out their base. They got 1.3 million votes; that's a lot for April elections."
Musk's special government contract expires before the summer, and DOGE is scheduled to dissolve in 2026.
AFP contributed to this report.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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