Elon Musk in Trump's government: DOGE, his exit and their feud

Key momentsthe most covered; every story is below

Who covered it, over timeindependent sources per week, by side

LeftCenterRight

Point at or tap a week to see its count by side.

Stories before June 28, 2026 come from archived pages, so who covered them is limited to the outlets we recovered for that period.

24% left · 57% center · 19% right of 219 independent sources among the outlets we track, across 62 stories.

Every storyoldest first

1. May 2024

   May 29– 30Trump weighs White House advisory role for Elon Musk: report10 articles · 8 independent sources

   2 left, 2 center, 2 right

2. August 2024

   Aug 12– 14Light on news, heavy on personality in Elon Musk and Donald Trump X interview57 articles · 36 independent sources

   9 left, 10 center, 12 right
3. Aug 19– 20Trump says he 'certainly would' give Elon Musk a job in his administration9 articles · 9 independent sources

   2 left, 2 center, 4 right
4. Aug 26Trump says Musk wouldn't have time to be in his White House cabinet, but could ‘consult'8 articles · 5 independent sources

   0 left, 1 center, 4 right

5. September 2024

   Sep 3– 6Musk’s ability to game the system may pay off for Trump’s efficiency panel34 articles · 30 independent sources

   10 left, 6 center, 5 right

6. November 2024

   Nov 13Trump says Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will lead Department of Government Efficiency96 articles · 54 independent sources

   8 left, 17 center, 12 right
7. Nov 17– 18Ramaswamy says some federal agencies will be 'deleted outright' by DOGE with 'mass reductions' on tap6 articles · 6 independent sources

   1 left, 0 center, 5 right

8. December 2024

   Dec 5Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are bringing Trump's DOGE to Capitol Hill14 articles · 12 independent sources

   1 left, 5 center, 3 right
9. Dec 18– 19US govt shutdown looms as Trump, Musk kill funding deal5 articles · 5 independent sources

   2 left, 3 center, 0 right
10. Dec 18– 21House passes bill to avoid Government shutdown12 articles · 9 independent sources

    1 left, 5 center, 1 right
11. Dec 19Trump's words of opposition stop a bipartisan budget deal in its tracks with Musk's help13 articles · 12 independent sources

    0 left, 4 center, 1 right
12. Dec 19– 21Musk helped kill a congressional spending bill. But much of what he spread was misinformation7 articles · 7 independent sources

    1 left, 2 center, 1 right

13. January 2025

    Jan 9Elon Musk now has a new, lower target number for DOGE’s budget cuts9 articles · 9 independent sources

    3 left, 2 center, 2 right
14. Jan 17– 21Vivek Ramaswamy leaves DOGE; expected to run for Ohio governor25 articles · 17 independent sources

    3 left, 5 center, 8 right
15. Jan 20Trump Will Face First Lawsuit—Targeting Elon Musk’s DOGE—Moments After Taking Office12 articles · 12 independent sources

    4 left, 4 center, 3 right

16. February 2025

    Feb 2– 3USAID security leaders on leave after trying to keep Musk's DOGE from classified info, officials say20 articles · 13 independent sources

    1 left, 5 center, 1 right
17. Feb 2– 4USAID fallout: Trump gives Musk authority to shut down agency100 articles · 46 independent sources

    13 left, 17 center, 6 right
18. Feb 3– 4Secretary of State Marco Rubio announces he's the acting director of USAID13 articles · 10 independent sources

    1 left, 3 center, 5 right
19. Feb 3– 5Treasury tells Congress that DOGE has ‘Read Only’ access to payment systems11 articles · 11 independent sources

    2 left, 4 center, 2 right
20. Feb 4Elon Musk is barreling into government with DOGE, raising unusual legal questions8 articles · 7 independent sources

    3 left, 1 center, 0 right
21. Feb 5– 12Musk appears at White House defending DOGE’s work but acknowledging mistakes13 articles · 11 independent sources

    5 left, 5 center, 1 right
22. Feb 6– 819 states sue to stop DOGE accessing Americans' personal data38 articles · 20 independent sources

    3 left, 9 center, 3 right
23. Feb 7Musk Team's Access to Student Loan Systems Raises Alarms6 articles · 6 independent sources

    2 left, 1 center, 0 right
24. Feb 12– 19Trump: Musk Won't Be Involved in Things that Pertain to His Businesses29 articles · 19 independent sources

    8 left, 3 center, 6 right
25. Feb 14Treasury watchdog begins audit of Musk DOGE team's access to federal government's payment system19 articles · 17 independent sources

    2 left, 6 center, 0 right
26. Feb 14Minnesota joins 13 other states in lawsuit against Elon Musk24 articles · 20 independent sources

    2 left, 4 center, 3 right
27. Feb 18– 19Who's in charge of DOGE? White House says it's not Elon Musk42 articles · 23 independent sources

    6 left, 9 center, 4 right
28. Feb 23Musk gives all federal workers 48 hours to explain what they did last week33 articles · 16 independent sources

    1 left, 5 center, 0 right
29. Feb 24Federal workers confront mass confusion as Musk’s deadline to list accomplishments looms - Boston News, Weather, Sports12 articles · 9 independent sources

    1 left, 2 center, 1 right
30. Feb 25– 26Federal technology staffers resign rather than help Musk and DOGE55 articles · 29 independent sources

    5 left, 9 center, 1 right
31. Feb 26President Donald Trump holds first Cabinet meeting; Elon Musk attends37 articles · 14 independent sources

    4 left, 6 center, 2 right

32. March 2025

    Mar 6– 7Trump tells Cabinet members that they're in charge, not Musk: Sources13 articles · 8 independent sources

    2 left, 3 center, 2 right
33. Mar 10– 11DOGE chief Elon Musk says he's running businesses ‘with great difficulty' as Tesla shares tank6 articles · 4 independent sources

    1 left, 2 center, 1 right
34. Mar 11– 12Musk eyes Social Security and benefit programs for cuts while claiming widespread fraud30 articles · 19 independent sources

    4 left, 8 center, 3 right
35. Mar 18– 19Judge rules DOGE’s dismantling of USAID likely unconstitutional, blocks further cuts56 articles · 34 independent sources

    7 left, 11 center, 3 right
36. Mar 20– 21DOGE blocked from accessing sensitive Social Security data, after judge raises concerns of a ‘fishing expedition’20 articles · 18 independent sources

    2 left, 9 center, 1 right
37. Mar 28– 29Appeals court clears way for DOGE to keep operating at USAID13 articles · 13 independent sources

    1 left, 1 center, 2 right

38. April 2025

    Apr 1– 4Elon Musk stepping down? Here's when Tesla CEO could leave DOGE47 articles · 29 independent sources

    4 left, 6 center, 6 right
39. Apr 1– 8Why Elon Musk is breaking with Trump over tariffs15 articles · 10 independent sources

    5 left, 3 center, 1 right
40. Apr 6– 7Musk vs Navarro: Is the Trump team divided on tariffs?6 articles · 6 independent sources

    1 left, 2 center, 2 right
41. Apr 6– 8Elon Musk calls Trump’s top trade adviser Peter Navarro a 'moron' and 'dumber than a sack of bricks'23 articles · 17 independent sources

    8 left, 4 center, 2 right
42. Apr 22– 23As Tesla profits plunge 71%, Elon Musk says he'll spend less time on DOGE57 articles · 25 independent sources

    5 left, 12 center, 4 right
43. Apr 29– May 2Elon Musk reveals his DOGE regret10 articles · 6 independent sources

    1 left, 2 center, 3 right

44. May 2025

    May 2– 3Trump administration asks Supreme Court to let DOGE access Social Security systems32 articles · 25 independent sources

    3 left, 11 center, 2 right
45. May 28Elon Musk ‘disappointed’ in Trump's ‘big, beautiful bill’47 articles · 31 independent sources

    8 left, 9 center, 9 right
46. May 29Elon Musk thanks Trump for ‘opportunity to reduce wasteful spending' as official government work nears end6 articles · 5 independent sources

    1 left, 3 center, 1 right
47. May 29– 30Trump gives Elon Musk an Oval Office sendoff - Boston News, Weather, Sports68 articles · 33 independent sources

    2 left, 18 center, 4 right
48. May 29– 30Elon Musk has left the government. What's next for DOGE?61 articles · 39 independent sources

    12 left, 9 center, 10 right
49. May 31– Jun 1Trump says he’s withdrawing nomination of Musk associate Jared Isaacman to lead NASA22 articles · 19 independent sources

    2 left, 6 center, 5 right

50. June 2025

    Jun 3– 5Trump says he's 'disappointed' with Musk as public feud escalates132 articles · 51 independent sources

    11 left, 15 center, 16 right
51. Jun 3– 6A day after blistering exchange, Trump calls Elon Musk 'man who has lost his mind'23 articles · 14 independent sources

    5 left, 4 center, 3 right
52. Jun 5– 6Donald Trump And Elon Musk's Relationship Ended Exactly How We All Knew It Would7 articles · 6 independent sources

    2 left, 1 center, 2 right
53. Jun 5– 7Timeline of Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s feud137 articles · 56 independent sources

    13 left, 23 center, 10 right
54. Jun 7– 8Trump says Elon Musk could face 'serious consequences' if he backs Democratic candidates35 articles · 21 independent sources

    2 left, 6 center, 5 right
55. Jun 9Elon Musk backs up Trump amid LA protests5 articles · 5 independent sources

    3 left, 1 center, 1 right
56. Jun 11– 13Republican enthusiasm for Musk cools after his feud with Trump, a new AP-NORC poll finds28 articles · 15 independent sources

    0 left, 7 center, 4 right
57. Jun 30– Jul 2Musk and Trump are fighting (again) over the ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’12 articles · 10 independent sources

    2 left, 3 center, 4 right

58. July 2025

    Jul 1Trump says DOGE is a monster that may ‘go back and eat Elon’10 articles · 7 independent sources

    1 left, 2 center, 0 right
59. Jul 24– 25Elon Musk fires back at Trump's claim that his companies will still enjoy subsidies8 articles · 5 independent sources

    2 left, 1 center, 2 right

60. December 2025

    Dec 10Elon Musk says DOGE was 'a little bit' successful — but he wouldn't do it again16 articles · 16 independent sources

    2 left, 5 center, 5 right

61. July 2026

    Jul 6– 8Trump administration's DOGE agency shutting down after controversial run that began with Elon Musk8 articles · 5 independent sources

    0 left, 2 center, 2 right

62. September 2026

    Sep 15FBI agent proposed criminal probe into Elon Musk over OPM email policy, email reveals6 articles · 6 independent sources

    0 left, 0 center, 5 right