At the start of the new Trump administration, Elon Musk’s influence seemed to have no limits.
He was in the Oval Office, one of his sons on his shoulders. He was meeting with heads of state. He was putting the United States Agency for International Development through the “wood chipper.” He gave a Fox News interview with President Trump.
Over the past couple of weeks, though, Trump’s highest-profile governing partner has faced setbacks that raise questions about his enduring power and relationships in the White House.
Some of my colleagues reported today that the acting commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service was being replaced after the Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, complained that Musk had his preferred candidate installed in the role without Bessent’s blessing.
It was only on Tuesday that Trump had appointed Musk’s choice, Gary Shapley, to run the agency temporarily. But since then, my colleagues reported, Bessent secured the president’s approval to send Musk’s pick packing.
It’s the latest bump in the road during Musk’s three-month crash course in government. He has repeatedly rankled certain members of Trump’s cabinet by failing to coordinate with them. His overall progress with the Department of Government Efficiency has been slower than he imagined. He was practically admonished by Trump in public after a plan for him to receive a classified briefing on China was leaked and then scuttled.
He suffered a high-profile political defeat after inserting himself into this month’s Wisconsin Supreme Court race. And despite his public opposition to Trump’s tariffs — and the trade adviser promoting them — he is not believed to have played a substantial role in persuading the president to change course.
As these obstacles have piled up, I’ve noticed that we haven’t seen quite so much of a billionaire who usually possesses no shortage of main-character energy. When he joined a cabinet meeting last week, he spoke only briefly during the televised portion, in contrast with his first such appearance, which essentially turned into the Elon Musk show. He hasn’t given a major interview in a couple of weeks.
Musk has even been posting less frequently on X, his social media platform. My eagle-eyed colleague Kate Conger, who tracks those posts, noticed this week that what had seemed like a constant barrage — in March, he posted more than 3,000 times, averaging about 107 posts per day — has let up a little bit. He has posted about 55 times per day so far in April, and he hasn’t had a single day of triple-digit posting all month.
This is not to suggest that his government-slashing efforts, or the ethos they represent, are in retreat. Behind the scenes, Musk has begun new efforts, including building a “gold card” visa program for rich foreigners. This week, DOGE gutted AmeriCorps, the service program that employs a legion of young Americans. And yesterday, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau fired a large number of its 1,700 employees — although a judge temporarily paused those cuts — and de-prioritized its core functions like enforcement and oversight for what’s left of it.
Musk’s status as a special government employee means he can’t stick around forever — but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s leaving anytime soon. He is not supposed to be in the position for more than 130 days, but if he works part time, he could extend his government presence.
Trump has privately acknowledged that Musk has made mistakes, my colleagues reported, but he still speaks of Musk warmly, expressing deep gratitude that the world’s richest man has weathered falling sales at Tesla and attacks on some of its dealerships while working with him. He lavished Musk with praise at last week’s cabinet meeting, even though he quickly moved the meeting along after Musk spoke. And his conservative allies, like the podcaster Joe Rogan, continue to praise Tesla’s cars.
Musk might not have had the greatest run recently. And he might not win every battle. But a man who has seemingly relished his role in government is unlikely to fade from relevance anytime soon.
MEANWHILE on X
Musk takes his Bessent feud to X
Elon Musk has kept relatively quiet on X lately, but it’s still one of his biggest sources of political power. My colleague Kate Conger explains how he tried to use it this week.
Musk used X on Thursday night to elevate criticism of Bessent, the Treasury secretary, sharing a post from the far-right personality Laura Loomer that accused Bessent of meeting with a “Trump hater” this month. Musk added that Loomer’s findings were “troubling.”
It’s notable that Musk has started taking cues from Loomer, with whom he’s had a rocky relationship. He reinstated her account on the social media platform after buying it in 2022, earning her praise. But they clashed over Musk’s support for visas for foreign tech workers after Trump won the election last fall. Loomer accused Musk of censoring her and of stripping a verification check mark from her account.
What appears to be Loomer’s growing influence among Trump and some of his allies has unnerved even some veteran Trump officials.
— Kate Conger
AGENCY REPORT
Is DOGE coming for the Interior Department?
Doug Burgum runs the Interior Department. But this week, he signed an order that critics say hands the Department of Government Efficiency a lot of decision-making authority over his agency. My colleague Lisa Friedman explains.
We know what happens when DOGE first shows up at a government agency. Jobs are slashed. Contracts are cut. And, sometimes, its staff members gain access to expansive repositories of data.
A new order at the Interior Department offers a glimpse into how the department’s staff members are beginning to fold themselves into agencies for the long term.
This week, Doug Burgum, the interior secretary, authorized a major reorganization of his agency. And a former member of Musk’s task force will oversee the plan.
The order offers no details on what the consolidation plan will look like, but it assigns the job of directing the effort to Interior’s assistant secretary for policy, management and budget. That role is held by Tyler Hassen, a former member of Musk’s department.
Critics say Burgum has essentially handed over his agency to DOGE.
Jennifer Rokala, the executive director of the Center for Western Priorities, a nonprofit group focused on conservation, noted that the order does not require Hassen to report to the secretary. Nor does it reserve any authority for Burgum to oppose firings or other policies.
It’s Hassen, she said, not Burgum, who has the key authority now.
“This order shows what it looks like when leaders abdicate their jobs and let unqualified outsiders fire thousands of civil servants who are working on behalf of all Americans and their public lands,” Rokala said in a statement.
In a statement, an Interior spokeswoman called the order an “optimization effort” and said the department would “continue to prioritize retaining first responders, parks services and energy production employees.”
— Lisa Friedman
Jess Bidgood is a managing correspondent for The Times and writes the On Politics newsletter, a guide to the 2024 election and beyond.
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