Government expert on Elon Musk and DOGE's "slash-and-burn exercise"

It was a remarkable moment last Tuesday: President Trump standing beside a shiny electric car at the White House making a pitch for the car's maker, Elon Musk: "This man has devoted his energy and his life to doing this. I think he's been treated very unfairly by a very small group of people."

For Musk – who spent about $300 million to help Trump win the White House, and who has reportedly pledged millions more to Trump's political efforts – it was a boost for Tesla's image, and a show of solidarity from the president. As he climbed into the driver's seat, Mr. Trump gushed, "Everything's computers!"

Tesla protests across the country have been a response to the "Department of Government Efficiency" initiative, known as DOGE. And as the man at its helm, Musk has been presidential confidant, cost-cutter, and government contractor all at once.