Now, President Trump and Musk are on good terms again, though their allies describe the truce as fragile. Musk sees Vance as a worthy candidate for the presidency in 2028, and both share a technological worldview and a fondness for online provocations.
As for Musk’s Government Efficiency Initiative (DOGE), while it fell short of its ambitious goal of cutting $2 trillion from the federal budget, its supporters in Silicon Valley and the administration argue that it has achieved a higher goal: a fundamental cultural change in government. Insiders point out that the effort “broke taboos” in Washington, normalized aggressive layoffs and allowed the government to conduct itself more like a business company. Former DOGE employees have integrated as full-time employees in a variety of federal agencies, where they continue to promote the principles of streamlining and redesigning the government service.