'American hero' or 'failure': Elon Musk's DOGE departure divides Capitol Hill
Emotions are running high on both sides of the aisle on Capitol Hill as Elon Musk makes his way for the exit.
Musk is stepping back from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which President Donald Trump appointed the tech billionaire to run for the first 130 days of his new administration.
He's been a polarizing figure in Washington, and that has extended to his announcement earlier this week that he's returning to the private sector. Republicans cheered Musk's work, while Democrats celebrated the end of it.
"Exposing reckless, wasteful government spending isn't about one individual — it's about a lasting overhaul of Crazy Town," House DOGE Caucus Chair Aaron Bean, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital. "That's why we're working closely with the White House to ensure recession packages reflect DOGE's critical findings."
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And the White House has begun that work already, preparing a $9.4 billion package of spending cuts that's expected to hit Congress on Tuesday. But Bean's comments imply Republicans are going to seek more.
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It was a sentiment that appeared to be shared by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., who said that Musk "did a lot of what he came to do."
"A lot of the savings that he identified are things hopefully that we'll be able to incorporate into bills that Congress passes. The work that he did was really important. It's long overdue," Thune said.
Senate DOGE Caucus Chair Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, said she was "honored" to work with Musk but signaled he should not be needed for lawmakers to cut government waste.
"It has been wonderful having a willing partner in my decade-long work to make Washington squeal, but I was DOGE before DOGE was cool, and I'm not slowing down," Ernst told Fox News Digital in a statement.
Other Republicans were more lavish in their praise, like Rep. Mike Haridopolos, R-Fla., who hailed Musk as an "American hero."
"I'm absolutely sad to see him go," Haridopolos told Fox News Digital. "He has given up a lot of time and wealth in order to bring the fiscal house of the United States in order, and he has done a great service to our country by bringing a heck of a lot more transparency of how we're spending money."
And Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., compared the billionaire to the nation's revered first leaders.
"He's kind of half Benjamin Franklin and half Thomas Jefferson. He had the inventiveness of Benjamin Franklin and the vision of a Thomas Jefferson, and I just remember all of our founding fathers were patriots, and they left their regular jobs. They gave up everything to come help found this country. And that's what Elon's [done]," Marshall told Fox News Digital.
On the other side of the aisle, Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., pointed out that as much as Republicans lauded Musk, he also dealt a blow to the House GOP earlier this week by criticizing their "big, beautiful" tax and spending bill.
"They brought Musk to DC to fight the deficit, and he left DC calling out how the reconciliation bill will blow the biggest hole in the deficit ever — adding more than $3 trillion in debt," Suozzi told Fox News Digital.
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., told Fox News Digital he believed DOGE's efforts were misplaced in the end.
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"Initially, I said we should work with Musk to find common ground where there is real waste — like defense contractors, Medicare Advantage overpayments, and prescription drugs. It is sad that DOGE faced opposition in focusing on those issues, and that agencies like USAID and NIH are being dismantled," Khanna said.
Others on the left unleashed on Musk directly.
Democrats have held up the Tesla CEO as a boogeyman since he began campaigning for Trump, using him as a living example of the wealthy, out-of-touch people they believed the Republican White House was benefitting.
"Elon came to Washington thinking he could run the government like one of his companies—firing people left and right, gutting essential services, and tearing this s--- up from the ground up," Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, wrote on X, calling for an investigation into Musk's work.
House Progressive Caucus Chairman Greg Casar, D-Texas, meanwhile, took credit for Musk leaving despite his fixed tenure.
"Musk's exit is an enormous victory for Democrats and working people. This is a sign of how powerful the anti-corruption, anti-billionaire movement in American politics can be," Casar said in a statement. "Musk did not choose to leave because Elon Musk likes to follow the rules. Musk will leave because the American people built enough political pressure that he had no choice."
And Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J. considered a potential 2028 presidential candidate, wrote on X, "Musk failed others and served himself."
"But there's an irony in his failure: in his quest to destroy government, he reminded us why it matters. To look out for hungry kids, to keep planes safe, to deliver Social Security checks, and to do the quiet work to serve the common good," Booker said.
When reached for comment on this story, White House spokesman Harrison Fields told Fox News Digital, "DOGE is integral to the federal government's operations, and its mission, as established by the President's executive order, will continue under the direction of agency and department heads in the Trump administration. DOGE has delivered remarkable results at an unprecedented pace, and its work is far from complete." Fox News Digital also reached out to Tesla for comment from Musk.
Trump, for his part, heaped praise on Musk at a joint press conference on Friday.
"Elon's service to America has been without comparison in modern history. He's already running one of the most innovative car companies in the world, if you look at his factories and compare them with some of the old factories we have, and it's a big difference. And the most successful space company, I guess in history, you would have to say. The largest free speech platform on the internet," Trump said.
"Yet, Elon, willingly, with all of the success, he willingly accepted the outrageous abuse and slander and lies and attacks because he does love our country."Original article source: 'American hero' or 'failure': Elon Musk's DOGE departure divides Capitol Hill
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