As Elon Musk exits the White House, observers are weighing the impact of his radical shakeup of the federal government.
While it remains to be seen whether billions of dollars in spending cuts will stick, Musk has already "made a difference" with DOGE, an MSNBC guest said.
Former Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo of Florida credited Musk with highlighting waste across the federal government.
“Look, I think that he did make a difference,” Curbelo said. "Obviously, he put a spotlight on government efficiency and on ways that, you know, the federal government could be improved. The way he did it was unpopular and controversial.”
As the public face of DOGE, Musk was constantly under attack during President Donald Trump's revolutionary first 100 days. DOGE's fast, aggressive, and sweeping approach to gutting the federal bureaucracy won praise from the right after years of unchecked government growth, while critics labeled the efforts as chaotic.
DOGE faced some of its most intense backlash over cuts to foreign aid. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was almost totally dismantled as Trump and Musk blasted the agency as a slush fund for questionable ideologically driven projects.
Trump bid farewell to Musk at the Oval Office on Friday, praising him for the "most sweeping and consequential government reform effort in generations."
DOGE did away with "$45 million for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion scholarships in Burma. In Burma," Trump said. "Does anyone know about Burma?"
"$42 million for social and behavioral change in Uganda," Trump continued.
While Musk has undoubtedly left an impact, initial conservative enthusiasm over DOGE's efforts has dissipated somewhat, with questions remaining about the permanence of the group's work. Musk himself recently directed rare public criticism at Trump over his "Big, Beautiful Bill," which the mogul suggested would raise deficits.
The White House this week asked Congress to codify $9 billion in DOGE recommendations, and Trump promised Friday to secure the remaining cuts, which currently total $157 billion.
“We’re totally committed to making the DOGE cuts permanent,” Trump said, adding the rest will "come later."
While some have speculated that DOGE will lose momentum without Musk in charge, both Musk and Trump have signaled that the work of downsizing government will continue apace, with Musk predicting savings of over $1 trillion down the line.
"I think the DOGE team is doing an incredible job," Musk said. "They're going to continue to be doing an incredible job."
