Trump fully commits to DOGE, taking a political risk.
DOGE is poised to take the spotlight, potentially eclipsing the president's key economic and legislative priorities that are both popular and politically significant.
TroibNews 
President Donald Trump has placed DOGE at the forefront of his domestic agenda, investing significant political capital in defending both it and its creator, Elon Musk, against critics from Congress — including those within his own Cabinet.
As Trump prepares for his joint address to Congress on Tuesday, several of his allies, including Trump-aligned GOP strategists and former administration officials, caution that fully committing to Musk's initiative is a perilous wager. They argue it could detract from his more essential and well-received economic and legislative goals.
Despite polling indicating bipartisan support for reducing federal spending, some of Trump's allies express private doubts about the potential success of the Department of Government Efficiency. They are disconcerted by what they perceive as Musk's harsh treatment of government workers, which they consider inhumane. Concerns are also growing that an excessive focus on DOGE, at the expense of issues like the economy or immigration, may invigorate Democrats before the midterms and alienate moderate Trump supporters. They believe this distraction could undermine efforts to pass key tax and immigration reform through Congress’ budget reconciliation process, seen by them as critical to Trump's legacy.
“If you’re Trump, one of the strategic questions is: ‘DOGE is getting all the attention. I’m doing all this important work on other issues, is that OK?’ Or do you want to see the other issues get more attention?” remarked GOP strategist Scott Jennings, a vocal supporter of Trump on CNN and a former candidate for his press secretary.
Publicly, Trump has dedicated more time to defending DOGE — a concept that emerged only in mid-November — than addressing reconciliation, a task he has largely delegated to Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune. During a recent televised Cabinet meeting, he encouraged his secretaries to applaud Musk, demonstrating a more public commitment to DOGE than his earlier efforts to unify Republicans around the "Big Beautiful Bill" agenda aimed at passing his legislative priorities.
This distinction highlights Trump’s preference for achieving quick, visible outcomes, in contrast to the slower, more complex legislative processes that could deliver enduring changes.
While many Republicans critique the mainstream media's focus on DOGE, some admit that Musk, in tandem with Trump, creates an attention-grabbing dynamic. “Do I think that Elon soaks up a lot of oxygen? Yes. Do I think the combination of Elon and Trump is catnip for the media at large? 100 percent, and I think that's because both guys provoke a lot of reaction, both positive and negative,” said Clay Travis, founder of the conservative, pro-Trump website OutKick. “And when you put them together, it's kind of unprecedented.”
A senior White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, contended that DOGE is “part of a larger story” related to the administration's agenda. Without divulging specific content for the upcoming speech, the official noted it would “showcase the president’s vision for the country” and highlight “the wins so far.”
“President Trump has secured significant wins regarding securing the southern border, unleashing American energy, significant progress in ending unrest around the globe, and ridding our society of DEI and radical race ideology,” the official stated.
Musk has thus far absorbed much of the criticism regarding DOGE. The latest Harvard-Harris poll shows Trump with a 52 percent approval rating compared to Musk's 44 percent. However, some GOP operatives in swing states, supportive of the president's success, express concern over how the administration's messages resonate with ordinary Americans.
They observe that many recent high-profile moments seem tailored to a conservative base active online — Musk wielding a chainsaw at the Conservative Political Action Conference while wearing a “Dark MAGA” hat, the White House's dispute with The Associated Press over the Gulf of Mexico's name, and conservative influencers posing with Jeffrey Epstein binders. There is anxiety that they may fall into a trap previously observed with Democrats — being "too online."
“When all you’re doing is throwing red meat to the Twitter crowd, that’s what’s getting reported on the nightly news, and that’s what people are reading,” noted a GOP consultant from a swing state, granted anonymity to discuss external perceptions candidly. “They’re like, ‘What the hell are you going to do about prices?’”
This consultant remarked that DOGE’s proposed cuts, while popular on X, come across as tone-deaf in real life. “The bigger risk is people being like, ‘[Elon's] a fucking asshole. Can you at least have some compassion about what these people are going through? Can you at least treat them with respect? They have mouths to feed, roofs to keep over their heads,’” they added. “Yeah, it has to happen. But why does an extremely pale lion have to play with his food here?”
Despite general support among Americans for federal spending cuts — with 56 percent backing it according to a recent Reuters-Ipsos poll — there is less enthusiasm for Musk and his approach. The same poll indicates that 53 percent oppose Musk’s leadership of the government task force.
Meanwhile, over two-thirds of respondents believe the wealthy exploit their connections to the White House, including a majority of Republicans; more than half disapprove of a federal hiring freeze; and nearly two-thirds oppose eliminating the Department of Education.
Rising frustrations are evident at GOP town halls, where constituents have voiced anger over DOGE-related cuts. Even Republican operatives who assert that Democrats are infiltrating these gatherings with left-wing plants acknowledge them as warning signals.
“Trump is absolutely addressing a significant American priority by seeking to eliminate wasteful Washington spending. They also endorse the extent of the cuts,” stated Frank Luntz, a longtime GOP messaging consultant. “What they don’t support is the language behind those cuts. If it’s done to help hardworking taxpayers, Americans say bravo. But if it’s done out of spite or revenge, the public will not agree.”
Trump recognized this sentiment when he told reporters in the Oval Office last week that “we take good care of our veterans” and that his administration is meticulously monitoring the number of veteran dismissals, expressing hope for a minimal figure. This was followed by the Office of Personnel Management instructing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to reinstate veterans, disabled veterans, and military spouses who were terminated, as reported by Bloomberg Law.
“A lot of the people they’re laying off look like Trump voters. A lot of people that they're laying off are middle-class, working-class Americans. You can find subsets of these people who are being fired who are military vets, or who are conservatives in their own communities and voted for Trump,” said a Washington-based Republican strategist, granted anonymity for candid commentary. “The more that that happens — even if it's a minority of the people who are getting laid off — I think that's a vulnerability.”
Even some of Trump’s allies voice concerns about the blunt nature of the cuts, such as those affecting aviation employees, nuclear oversight personnel, and scientists dealing with an ongoing bird flu outbreak, fearing that a serious incident is only a matter of time.
Americans also remain uneasy about inflation, feeling the administration is insufficiently addressing rising prices. The University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment Index fell to a 15-month low in February, while the Reuters-Ipsos poll revealed that 52 percent of respondents believe Trump is not doing enough to aid the economy and lower costs.
“The single most important issue is lowering inflation and dealing with cost of living. That's what won us the election last year, and that's what they expect President Trump and the majorities in Congress to deal with,” said Trump pollster John McLaughlin. “They’ve got to reduce inflation and they’ve got to get the economy growing, and they’ve got this looming deadline where they would have a massive tax increase if they don’t renew the Trump tax cuts.”
Despite this, Trump’s allies contend that he is addressing economic issues with tariffs and executive orders aimed at increasing fossil fuel production and attracting new domestic investments. They argue that even the DOGE cuts will ultimately benefit the economy by enhancing the nation's fiscal health and bolstering the private sector.
“The American people are a lot smarter than most Washington observers give them credit for,” remarked Ralph Reed, founder and chair of the Faith and Freedom Coalition and a long-time Trump supporter. “They know that we didn't get into this mess in a day, and you're not going to fix it in a month.”
However, these efforts may still fall flat in practice. For instance, Arizona recently secured a multibillion-dollar commitment from Apple to produce chips in Phoenix as part of a broader $500 billion U.S. investment initiative over the next four years. GOP strategist Barrett Marson pointed out that Trump could face a dilemma similar to that encountered by former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris when they attempted to highlight the economic benefits of passing the CHIPS Act, which many Americans didn't feel in their wallets.
“If I don’t work for a chip manufacturer, I’m not going to notice that,” Marson said. “But people notice grocery prices.”
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
As Trump prepares for his joint address to Congress on Tuesday, several of his allies, including Trump-aligned GOP strategists and former administration officials, caution that fully committing to Musk's initiative is a perilous wager. They argue it could detract from his more essential and well-received economic and legislative goals.
Despite polling indicating bipartisan support for reducing federal spending, some of Trump's allies express private doubts about the potential success of the Department of Government Efficiency. They are disconcerted by what they perceive as Musk's harsh treatment of government workers, which they consider inhumane. Concerns are also growing that an excessive focus on DOGE, at the expense of issues like the economy or immigration, may invigorate Democrats before the midterms and alienate moderate Trump supporters. They believe this distraction could undermine efforts to pass key tax and immigration reform through Congress’ budget reconciliation process, seen by them as critical to Trump's legacy.
“If you’re Trump, one of the strategic questions is: ‘DOGE is getting all the attention. I’m doing all this important work on other issues, is that OK?’ Or do you want to see the other issues get more attention?” remarked GOP strategist Scott Jennings, a vocal supporter of Trump on CNN and a former candidate for his press secretary.
Publicly, Trump has dedicated more time to defending DOGE — a concept that emerged only in mid-November — than addressing reconciliation, a task he has largely delegated to Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune. During a recent televised Cabinet meeting, he encouraged his secretaries to applaud Musk, demonstrating a more public commitment to DOGE than his earlier efforts to unify Republicans around the "Big Beautiful Bill" agenda aimed at passing his legislative priorities.
This distinction highlights Trump’s preference for achieving quick, visible outcomes, in contrast to the slower, more complex legislative processes that could deliver enduring changes.
While many Republicans critique the mainstream media's focus on DOGE, some admit that Musk, in tandem with Trump, creates an attention-grabbing dynamic. “Do I think that Elon soaks up a lot of oxygen? Yes. Do I think the combination of Elon and Trump is catnip for the media at large? 100 percent, and I think that's because both guys provoke a lot of reaction, both positive and negative,” said Clay Travis, founder of the conservative, pro-Trump website OutKick. “And when you put them together, it's kind of unprecedented.”
A senior White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, contended that DOGE is “part of a larger story” related to the administration's agenda. Without divulging specific content for the upcoming speech, the official noted it would “showcase the president’s vision for the country” and highlight “the wins so far.”
“President Trump has secured significant wins regarding securing the southern border, unleashing American energy, significant progress in ending unrest around the globe, and ridding our society of DEI and radical race ideology,” the official stated.
Musk has thus far absorbed much of the criticism regarding DOGE. The latest Harvard-Harris poll shows Trump with a 52 percent approval rating compared to Musk's 44 percent. However, some GOP operatives in swing states, supportive of the president's success, express concern over how the administration's messages resonate with ordinary Americans.
They observe that many recent high-profile moments seem tailored to a conservative base active online — Musk wielding a chainsaw at the Conservative Political Action Conference while wearing a “Dark MAGA” hat, the White House's dispute with The Associated Press over the Gulf of Mexico's name, and conservative influencers posing with Jeffrey Epstein binders. There is anxiety that they may fall into a trap previously observed with Democrats — being "too online."
“When all you’re doing is throwing red meat to the Twitter crowd, that’s what’s getting reported on the nightly news, and that’s what people are reading,” noted a GOP consultant from a swing state, granted anonymity to discuss external perceptions candidly. “They’re like, ‘What the hell are you going to do about prices?’”
This consultant remarked that DOGE’s proposed cuts, while popular on X, come across as tone-deaf in real life. “The bigger risk is people being like, ‘[Elon's] a fucking asshole. Can you at least have some compassion about what these people are going through? Can you at least treat them with respect? They have mouths to feed, roofs to keep over their heads,’” they added. “Yeah, it has to happen. But why does an extremely pale lion have to play with his food here?”
Despite general support among Americans for federal spending cuts — with 56 percent backing it according to a recent Reuters-Ipsos poll — there is less enthusiasm for Musk and his approach. The same poll indicates that 53 percent oppose Musk’s leadership of the government task force.
Meanwhile, over two-thirds of respondents believe the wealthy exploit their connections to the White House, including a majority of Republicans; more than half disapprove of a federal hiring freeze; and nearly two-thirds oppose eliminating the Department of Education.
Rising frustrations are evident at GOP town halls, where constituents have voiced anger over DOGE-related cuts. Even Republican operatives who assert that Democrats are infiltrating these gatherings with left-wing plants acknowledge them as warning signals.
“Trump is absolutely addressing a significant American priority by seeking to eliminate wasteful Washington spending. They also endorse the extent of the cuts,” stated Frank Luntz, a longtime GOP messaging consultant. “What they don’t support is the language behind those cuts. If it’s done to help hardworking taxpayers, Americans say bravo. But if it’s done out of spite or revenge, the public will not agree.”
Trump recognized this sentiment when he told reporters in the Oval Office last week that “we take good care of our veterans” and that his administration is meticulously monitoring the number of veteran dismissals, expressing hope for a minimal figure. This was followed by the Office of Personnel Management instructing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to reinstate veterans, disabled veterans, and military spouses who were terminated, as reported by Bloomberg Law.
“A lot of the people they’re laying off look like Trump voters. A lot of people that they're laying off are middle-class, working-class Americans. You can find subsets of these people who are being fired who are military vets, or who are conservatives in their own communities and voted for Trump,” said a Washington-based Republican strategist, granted anonymity for candid commentary. “The more that that happens — even if it's a minority of the people who are getting laid off — I think that's a vulnerability.”
Even some of Trump’s allies voice concerns about the blunt nature of the cuts, such as those affecting aviation employees, nuclear oversight personnel, and scientists dealing with an ongoing bird flu outbreak, fearing that a serious incident is only a matter of time.
Americans also remain uneasy about inflation, feeling the administration is insufficiently addressing rising prices. The University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment Index fell to a 15-month low in February, while the Reuters-Ipsos poll revealed that 52 percent of respondents believe Trump is not doing enough to aid the economy and lower costs.
“The single most important issue is lowering inflation and dealing with cost of living. That's what won us the election last year, and that's what they expect President Trump and the majorities in Congress to deal with,” said Trump pollster John McLaughlin. “They’ve got to reduce inflation and they’ve got to get the economy growing, and they’ve got this looming deadline where they would have a massive tax increase if they don’t renew the Trump tax cuts.”
Despite this, Trump’s allies contend that he is addressing economic issues with tariffs and executive orders aimed at increasing fossil fuel production and attracting new domestic investments. They argue that even the DOGE cuts will ultimately benefit the economy by enhancing the nation's fiscal health and bolstering the private sector.
“The American people are a lot smarter than most Washington observers give them credit for,” remarked Ralph Reed, founder and chair of the Faith and Freedom Coalition and a long-time Trump supporter. “They know that we didn't get into this mess in a day, and you're not going to fix it in a month.”
However, these efforts may still fall flat in practice. For instance, Arizona recently secured a multibillion-dollar commitment from Apple to produce chips in Phoenix as part of a broader $500 billion U.S. investment initiative over the next four years. GOP strategist Barrett Marson pointed out that Trump could face a dilemma similar to that encountered by former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris when they attempted to highlight the economic benefits of passing the CHIPS Act, which many Americans didn't feel in their wallets.
“If I don’t work for a chip manufacturer, I’m not going to notice that,” Marson said. “But people notice grocery prices.”
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
