The tech billionaire Elon Musk has swiftly gained enormous power over the federal government as he works with the so-called Department of Government Efficiency to slash the federal bureaucracy — and upend the nation’s politics.

Elon Musk’s move-fast-and-break-things ethos has served him well so far in his efforts to demolish the federal bureaucracy. But now comes the moment the billionaire leading President Donald Trump’s DOGE initiative may not be prepared for — managing the politics of his sprawling cuts.

DOGE has been in the news for its role in cutting federal workers. Here's everything you need to know about it and how Elon Musk is involved.

Last week, between posting photos of himself and slashing the federal bureaucracy, Elon Musk found the time to make some penis jokes. The world’s richest man briefly changed his display name on X to “Harry Bōlz,