“Congress is making America bankrupt,” the phrase uttered by who was thought to be the White House’s strongest and wealthiest ally. After dawning a literal and figurative black eye, Elon Musk has finally left the Trump administration. Musk’s time in D.C. was cut short after his tenure as a “special government employee,” came to an end. D.O.G.E. failed to save the 2 trillion dollars that it promised, but instead 160 billion. So, as a goodbye, let’s reflect on Musk’s time in the White House and the messy finale!
Firstly, let’s reminisce on how Musk got to the position that he held. After spending just under 290 million dollars on Trump’s campaign, President Trump was elected. Trump quickly announced the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency and named Elon Musk as one of the co-heads of the branch. That very quickly changed as Musk was named the sole leader of the branch and was given more responsibility and freedoms to reach his goal of cutting unuseful spending.
D.O.G.E quickly faced backlash after the controversial events of the inauguration, and the influence that Musk had on the White House as an unelected official. Despite the lack of transparency, we know that D.O.G.E has made plenty of layoffs, contract terminations, and agency dismantling. As for the future of the department, Musk was optimistic.
“The DOGE team will only grow stronger over time; the DOGE influence will only grow stronger,” Musk claimed, contrary to the criticism that came with the agency.
Musk’s departure from D.O.G.E came after he criticized the “big beautiful bill” that has seen just about every news outlet. Musk claimed that he knows the bill is “big” but he isn’t sure if it could be “beautiful” as well. He tells CBS news, “I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful, but I don’t know if it can be both.”
Musk and Trump then expressed their gratitude for each other; the calm before the storm. X users and news watchers across the country saw an almost humorous tantrum by the former government employee as Musk slammed the big beautiful bill. “This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination,” Musk posted. He then went on to write, “Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.”
Musk continued his angry rant on the platform which raises suspicion. Why the sudden 180? Some believe that Musk is angry as he wanted and had expected to exceed the 130 day term as a special government employee. Others think that Musk is upset because his job and D.O.G.E. is being overtaken by the contents and cuts made within the bill.
As for my opinion, I would say that it doesn’t matter. What matters is our attention and understanding to the bigger picture. Bottom line is that the “big beautiful bill” is going to affect every single one of us. Whether you support it or not, stay educated and up to date with the bill. Don’t let Musk’s drama distract you from the changes that are coming in the near future.