[By Guancha Observer Network, Zhang Jingjuan] The "small boat of friendship" between US President Trump and former head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Musk has capsized. This dramatic transformation from political allies to open enemies has created an extremely tense atmosphere within DOGE, with employees still on the job worried that they may become targets of political retribution.

According to a report by the Wall Street Journal on July 7, despite public support from the White House for DOGE's work, the rupture in relations between Trump and Musk has made DOGE employees feel uneasy, fearing that efforts to cut government spending and their own work could be threatened.

The report stated that DOGE was a project jointly initiated by Trump and Musk to reshape the federal government, and the future of DOGE has now become one of the pressing issues following this rift.

White House spokesperson Harrison Fields said that "Trump's success through DOGE is undeniable, and his work will continue to achieve historic results."

However, DOGE employees remain anxious, exchanging messages to inquire about whether they face risks of being "optimized." Additionally, there are concerns that as Musk leaves, DOGE may shrink due to employee resignations or the end of terms. Since the concept of DOGE was proposed during last year's campaign period, the plan has been closely tied to Tesla CEO Musk, with many employees having previously worked at companies under Musk.

Sahil Lavingia, who recently served as a software engineer at the Department of Government Efficiency, expressed concern, stating, "I worry that after Musk leaves, no one will join, and it will slowly decline. Working at the Department of Government Efficiency feels like pushing a large boulder up a hill; if you stop working, it will fall down."

After Musk's departure, DOGE was left without leadership, and its key deputy, Steve Davis, who had managed daily operations, also resigned.

Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which oversees the advancement of DOGE's agenda, said on the 4th that the U.S. government is striving to establish new leadership for the Department of Government Efficiency. Currently, staff in this department are responsible to cabinet ministers of the United States.

Vought is pushing Congress to reclaim $9.4 billion in wasteful foreign aid expenditures from agencies such as USAID and PBS. Congress has 45 days to handle this matter.

The report pointed out that congressional Republicans who once supported Musk and DOGE remain aligned with Trump, and it remains to be seen whether DOGE's allies in Congress will support this effort.

On May 30, 2025, Washington D.C., U.S. President Trump and American entrepreneur and former head of the Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk, held a press conference at the White House. May 30 was Musk's last day at the Department of Government Efficiency. IC Photo

"In my view, Musk thought he was the co-president, but everyone else knows that's impossible," said Kevin Cramer, a Republican senator from North Dakota. "It seems Musk's feelings have been hurt."

Aaron Bean, a Republican representative from Florida and chairman of the Congressional Government Efficiency Task Force, said that Trump and Musk's quarrel made him "heartbroken."

He claimed that despite the broken relationship, lawmakers remain committed to advancing the work of the Department of Government Efficiency. "You see two friends arguing, and things escalate so quickly, it's heartbreaking."

Bean said he hopes Trump and Musk can reconcile, adding, "Perhaps they can share a Diet Coke (Trump's favorite)."

James Fishback, an early advisor to DOGE during its inception, publicly distanced himself from Musk and sided with Trump in this dispute. He criticized Musk's behavior as "unsettling" and urged Musk to apologize to Trump.

Steve Bannon, a former political advisor to Trump, publicly stated that DOGE's efforts were a failure, noting that "Musk had promised to cut $1 trillion in waste, fraud, and abuse (federal spending)."

According to DOGE statistics, through asset sales, contract cancellations, layoffs, and other measures, federal spending was ultimately reduced by $180 billion. This figure falls far short of Musk's promise and has been met with skepticism.

Internal sources within the U.S. government previously revealed that during a conversation with advisors, Trump asked about the federal spending reduction plan promoted by DOGE: "Is all of this just hype?"

This article is an exclusive piece by the Observer Network and cannot be reproduced without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7513779944661500451/

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