Dems said they want to work with Musk. DOGE is making that hard.
A handful of Democrats once sounded open to working with the tech billionaire. His wrecking ball to the federal government has made them question that.
TroibNews 
Following a significant electoral loss, some Democrats expressed their intention to collaborate with Elon Musk in his efforts to reduce waste and fraud in government. However, two months later, as the tech billionaire disrupts various federal agencies at an alarming pace, those same Democrats are beginning to reevaluate their enthusiasm.
In December, Rep. Ro Khanna, a Democrat from Silicon Valley, equated Musk with the individuals Franklin D. Roosevelt enlisted to mobilize the nation for World War II. Sen. John Fetterman described him as a Marvel superhero, while Sen. Elizabeth Warren indicated that Musk could “count her in” on the plans for the Department of Government Efficiency aimed at reducing Pentagon waste.
However, the initial willingness to collaborate has rapidly transformed into dismay as Musk has effectively dismantled agencies, called for the resignation of tens of thousands of federal workers, threatened layoffs, and brought certain government operations to a standstill.
By mid-February, Democratic patience was wearing thin.
“If Musk wants to cut spending, I've sent him a list of 30 items where he could start, and I'm still open to working with him on those,” Warren told PMG. “But I am not open to helping him violate the law to shut down government functions that have been authorized by Congress and signed by the president.”
Khanna took to the Musk-owned platform X, claiming that the entrepreneur was launching “unconstitutional” attacks on American institutions, leading Musk to respond: “don’t be a dick.”
Even Fetterman, who initially supported Musk’s vision, expressed concern regarding Musk's handling of sensitive personal data. Fetterman posted a PMG article headline on X about Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency gaining access to private taxpayer data. He commented: “I want to save billions of your money and make our government more efficient. Rummaging through your personal shit is *not* that.”
In an interview, Fetterman cautioned Musk to “slow down, just a little … because you are going to hit nerves that we don't want to cut.”
Democrats are currently engaged in introspection regarding their strategy after losing the White House and both chambers of Congress last November. Their opposition to Trump has softened, but there is a concerted effort to frame Musk as a boogeyman and depict him as an unelected dictator recklessly dismantling essential government entities.
Many Democrats have asserted that any cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, or Social Security would be a political third rail; they worry that the Department of Government Efficiency could unintentionally disrupt payments from those programs if it proceeds too quickly. A senior staff member at the Social Security Administration resigned due to the department's attempts to access sensitive records.
Rep. Jared Golden, a Democrat with a constituency in a Trump-won district in rural Maine, noted on X that his office has been inundated with calls from constituents concerned about Musk. He has previously mentioned apprehensions about Musk threatening payments from social safety net programs in an interview with PMG.
"If you're a red-district Dem, we've gotten to the place with voters where no Democrat should be closing the door" on seeking bipartisan issues, stated Jason Bresler, a Democratic strategist. "But once you start touching things like entitlement programs, it'd be political suicide for a Democrat to touch that."
In a joint interview with Sean Hannity, Musk and Trump expressed mutual admiration, stating that attacks on Musk had not driven a division between them. This relationship is something Democrats hope will hinder Republican success at the polls.
"He gets it done," Trump said of Musk during the Hannity interview. "He’s a leader."
Aarav Patel contributed to this report for TROIB News
In December, Rep. Ro Khanna, a Democrat from Silicon Valley, equated Musk with the individuals Franklin D. Roosevelt enlisted to mobilize the nation for World War II. Sen. John Fetterman described him as a Marvel superhero, while Sen. Elizabeth Warren indicated that Musk could “count her in” on the plans for the Department of Government Efficiency aimed at reducing Pentagon waste.
However, the initial willingness to collaborate has rapidly transformed into dismay as Musk has effectively dismantled agencies, called for the resignation of tens of thousands of federal workers, threatened layoffs, and brought certain government operations to a standstill.
By mid-February, Democratic patience was wearing thin.
“If Musk wants to cut spending, I've sent him a list of 30 items where he could start, and I'm still open to working with him on those,” Warren told PMG. “But I am not open to helping him violate the law to shut down government functions that have been authorized by Congress and signed by the president.”
Khanna took to the Musk-owned platform X, claiming that the entrepreneur was launching “unconstitutional” attacks on American institutions, leading Musk to respond: “don’t be a dick.”
Even Fetterman, who initially supported Musk’s vision, expressed concern regarding Musk's handling of sensitive personal data. Fetterman posted a PMG article headline on X about Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency gaining access to private taxpayer data. He commented: “I want to save billions of your money and make our government more efficient. Rummaging through your personal shit is *not* that.”
In an interview, Fetterman cautioned Musk to “slow down, just a little … because you are going to hit nerves that we don't want to cut.”
Democrats are currently engaged in introspection regarding their strategy after losing the White House and both chambers of Congress last November. Their opposition to Trump has softened, but there is a concerted effort to frame Musk as a boogeyman and depict him as an unelected dictator recklessly dismantling essential government entities.
Many Democrats have asserted that any cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, or Social Security would be a political third rail; they worry that the Department of Government Efficiency could unintentionally disrupt payments from those programs if it proceeds too quickly. A senior staff member at the Social Security Administration resigned due to the department's attempts to access sensitive records.
Rep. Jared Golden, a Democrat with a constituency in a Trump-won district in rural Maine, noted on X that his office has been inundated with calls from constituents concerned about Musk. He has previously mentioned apprehensions about Musk threatening payments from social safety net programs in an interview with PMG.
"If you're a red-district Dem, we've gotten to the place with voters where no Democrat should be closing the door" on seeking bipartisan issues, stated Jason Bresler, a Democratic strategist. "But once you start touching things like entitlement programs, it'd be political suicide for a Democrat to touch that."
In a joint interview with Sean Hannity, Musk and Trump expressed mutual admiration, stating that attacks on Musk had not driven a division between them. This relationship is something Democrats hope will hinder Republican success at the polls.
"He gets it done," Trump said of Musk during the Hannity interview. "He’s a leader."
Aarav Patel contributed to this report for TROIB News
