The rift between Elon Musk and Republicans is about to get worse. The New York Times reports that in an extraordinary Oval Office meeting, President Trump’s senior agency heads fought bitterly with Musk. They are angry with him because they themselves know the cuts by his so-called Department of Government Efficiency will produce all kinds of fiascoes at their agencies. Tellingly, they expressly don’t want to take the blame for what Musk is unleashing! We talked to New Republic staff writer Kate Aronoff, who has a good new piece about some of DOGE’s hidden impacts. She explains why all this reveals deep schisms inside the administration that will only get worse for Trump. Listen to this episode here. A transcript is here.
PODCAST
Musk Humiliated as Trump’s Own Advisers Brutally Expose DOGE Fiasco
As a new report shows that even Trump officials are infuriated by Elon Musk, the author of a new piece on DOGE’s impacts explains how this reveals a deep problem for Trump that isn’t going away.

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Elon Musk in Washington, D.C., on March 5, 2025