Republicans, particularly those in Congress, have been overwhelmingly supportive of broad cuts across the federal government at the hands of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.

Elon Musk’s partnership with Donald Trump has turned the technology mogul into a folk hero inside the Republican Party, with a political platform and relationship with grassroots voters all his own—second in popularity and stature only to the president.

The head of President Donald Trump’s government efficiency effort, Elon Musk, is emerging as a messaging punching bag for Democrats as they pick up the pieces of their stinging defeat in last year’s elections and search for a winning message for 2026.

Elon Musk’s role in the Trump administration is complicating his business ventures, as the tech billionaire pushes forward with efforts to slash the federal government and budget in the face of mounting criticism.

Democratic U.S. representative John Larson criticized Elon Musk on Wednesday (March 12) for failing to appear before a hearing of the House Ways and Means Committee, shouting at his Republican colleagues for blocking Musk's testimony.

Discontent with Elon Musk has spurred a nationwide protest movement that aims to cut off the profits for the billionaire’s lucrative car business, EV maker Tesla. Now, Trump-aligned lawmakers are lobbying for the Justice Department to go after protesters in what seems like a blatantly oligarchic weaponization of the nation’s justice system.