'American hero' or 'failure': Elon Musk's DOGE departure divides Capitol Hill

Emotions are moving precocious connected some sides of the aisle connected Capitol Hill arsenic Elon Musk makes his mode for the exit.

Musk is stepping backmost from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which President Donald Trump appointed the tech billionaire to tally for the archetypal 130 days of his caller administration.

He's been a polarizing fig successful Washington, and that has extended to his announcement earlier this week that he's returning to the backstage sector. Republicans cheered Musk's work, portion Democrats celebrated the extremity of it.

"Exposing reckless, wasteful authorities spending isn’t astir 1 individual—it’s astir a lasting overhaul of Crazy Town," House DOGE Caucus Chair Aaron Bean, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital. "That’s wherefore we’re moving intimately with the White House to guarantee recession packages bespeak DOGE’s captious findings."

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Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Rep. Jasmine Crockett led precise antithetic reactions to Elon Musk's departure from the national government. (Getty Images)

And the White House has begun that enactment already, preparing a $9.4 cardinal bundle of spending cuts that's expected to deed Congress connected Tuesday. But Bean's comments connote Republicans are going to question more.

It was a sentiment that appeared to beryllium shared by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., who said that Musk "did a batch of what helium came to do."

"A batch of the savings that helium identified are things hopefully that we’ll beryllium capable to incorporated into bills that Congress passes. The enactment that helium did was truly important. It’s agelong overdue," Thune said.

Senate DOGE Caucus Chair Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, said she was "honored" to enactment with Musk but signaled helium should not beryllium needed for lawmakers to chopped authorities waste.

"It has been fantastic having a consenting spouse successful my decade-long enactment to marque Washington squeal, but I was DOGE earlier DOGE was cool, and I’m not slowing down," Ernst told Fox News Digital successful a statement.

Other Republicans were much lavish successful their praise, similar Rep. Mike Haridopolos, R-Fla., who hailed Musk arsenic an "American hero."

"I'm perfectly bittersweet to spot him go," Haridopolos told Fox News Digital. "He has fixed up a batch of clip and wealthiness successful bid to bring the fiscal location of the United States successful order, and helium has done a large work to our state by bringing a heck of a batch much transparency of however we're spending money."

And Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., compared the billionaire to the nation's revered archetypal leaders.

Rep. Aaron Bean helped recovered the House's DOGE Caucus. (House of Representatives/Getty Images)

"He's benignant of fractional Benjamin Franklin and fractional Thomas Jefferson. He had the inventiveness of Benjamin Franklin and the imaginativeness of a Thomas Jefferson, and I conscionable retrieve each of our founding fathers were patriots, and they near their regular jobs. They gave up everything to travel assistance recovered this country. And that's what Elon's [done]," Marshall told Fox News Digital.

On the different broadside of the aisle, Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., pointed retired that arsenic overmuch arsenic Republicans lauded Musk, helium besides dealt a stroke to the House GOP earlier this week by criticizing their "big, beautiful" taxation and spending bill.

"They brought Musk to DC to combat the deficit, and helium near DC calling retired however the reconciliation measure volition stroke the biggest spread successful the shortage ever – adding much than $3 trillion successful debt," Suozzi told Fox News Digital.

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., told Fox News Digital helium believed DOGE's efforts were misplaced successful the end.

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"Initially, I said we should enactment with Musk to find communal crushed wherever determination is existent discarded — similar defence contractors, Medicare Advantage overpayments, and medicine drugs. It is bittersweet that DOGE faced absorption successful focusing connected those issues, and that agencies similar USAID and NIH are being dismantled," Khanna said.

Others connected the near unleashed connected Musk directly. 

Democrats person held up the Tesla CEO as a boogeyman since helium began campaigning for Trump, utilizing him arsenic a surviving illustration of the wealthy, out-of-touch radical they believed the Republican White House was benefitting.

"Elon came to Washington reasoning helium could tally the authorities similar 1 of his companies—firing radical near and right, gutting indispensable services, and tearing this s--t up from the crushed up," Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, wrote connected X, calling for an probe into Musk's work.

Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., pointed retired that arsenic overmuch arsenic Republicans lauded Musk, helium besides dealt a stroke to the House GOP earlier this week by criticizing their "big, beautiful" taxation and spending bill. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)

House Progressive Caucus Chairman Greg Casar, D-Texas, meanwhile, took recognition for Musk leaving contempt his fixed tenure.

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"Musk’s exit is an tremendous triumph for Democrats and moving people. This is simply a motion of however almighty the anti-corruption, anti-billionaire question successful American authorities tin be," Casar said successful a statement. "Musk did not take to permission due to the fact that Elon Musk likes to travel the rules. Musk volition permission due to the fact that the American radical built capable governmental unit that helium had nary choice."

And Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J. considered a imaginable 2028 statesmanlike candidate, wrote connected X, "Musk failed others and served himself."

"But there’s an irony successful his failure: successful his quest to destruct government, helium reminded america wherefore it matters. To look retired for bare kids, to support planes safe, to present Social Security checks, and to bash the quiescent enactment to service the communal good," Booker said.

When reached for remark connected this story, White House spokesperson Harrison Fields told Fox News Digital, "DOGE is integral to the national government’s operations, and its mission, arsenic established by the President’s enforcement order, volition proceed nether the absorption of bureau and section heads successful the Trump administration. DOGE has delivered singular results astatine an unprecedented pace, and its enactment is acold from complete." Fox News Digital besides reached retired to Tesla for remark from Musk.

Trump, for his part, heaped praise connected Musk astatine a associated property league connected Friday.

"Elon’s service to America has been without examination successful modern history. He's already moving 1 of the astir innovative car companies successful the world, if you look astatine his factories and comparison them with immoderate of the aged factories we have, and it's a large difference. And the astir palmy abstraction company, I conjecture successful history, you would person to say. The largest escaped code level connected the internet," Trump said.

"Yet, Elon, willingly, with each of the success, helium willingly accepted the outrageous maltreatment and slander and lies and attacks due to the fact that helium does emotion our country."