Elon Musk's exit from DOGE draws criticism and praise from Capitol Hill lawmakers

WASHINGTON, DC: Tech billionaire Elon Musk's decision to quit the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has elicited contradictory responses on Capitol Hill, depending on the lawmakers' political affiliation.

The Tesla CEO is stepping back from DOGE, after his 130 days as special government employee were over, according to Fox News.

Elon Musk divides Capitol Hill as he departs from Trump's DOGE

The SpaceX CEO is a polarizing figure in DC, and his announcement earlier this week that he's returning to the private sector has sparked a vigorous debate.

His work was cheered by Republicans, while Democrats celebrated the end of it, Fox News reported.

House DOGE Caucus Chair Aaron Bean, told the outlet, "Exposing reckless, wasteful government spending isn’t about one individual — it’s about a lasting overhaul of Crazy Town."

"That’s why we’re working closely with the White House to ensure recession packages reflect DOGE’s critical findings," Bean added.

Notably, the White House has started the work already and is preparing a $9.4 billion package of spending cuts that is expected to hit Congress.

However, Bean's comments imply Republicans are going to seek more, per the outlet.

Interestingly, it was a sentiment that seemed to be shared by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who added that Musk "did a lot of what he came to do."

Thune said, "A lot of the savings that he identified are things hopefully that we’ll be able to incorporate into bills that Congress passes. The work that he did was really important. It’s long overdue."

Similarly, Senate DOGE Caucus Chair Joni Ernst added she was "honored" to work with Musk.

However, she signaled that Musk should not be needed for lawmakers to cut government waste.

Ernst told Fox News Digital in a statement, "It has been wonderful having a willing partner in my decade-long work to make Washington squeal, but I was DOGE before DOGE was cool, and I’m not slowing down."

Other Republicans also praised Musk, such as Rep Mike Haridopolos, who called Musk an "American hero".

He said, "I'm absolutely sad to see him go. He has given up a lot of time and wealth in order to bring the fiscal house of the United States in order, and he has done a great service to our country by bringing a heck of a lot more transparency of how we're spending money."

Meanwhile, Sen Roger Marshall compared the billionaire to the nation's revered first leaders.

"He's kind of half Benjamin Franklin and half Thomas Jefferson. He had the inventiveness of Benjamin Franklin and the vision of a Thomas Jefferson, and I just remember all of our founding fathers were patriots, and they left their regular jobs. They gave up everything to come help found this country. And that's what Elon's [done]," Marshall told Fox News.

Democrats share their views as Elon Musk quits DOGE

Rep Tom Suozzi told Fox News that as much as Republicans lauded Musk, the Tesla CEO also dealt a blow to the House GOP earlier this week by criticizing Trump's "big, beautiful" tax and spending bill.

"They brought Musk to DC to fight the deficit, and he left DC calling out how the reconciliation bill will blow the biggest hole in the deficit ever — adding more than $3 trillion in debt," Suozzi said.

Meanwhile, Rep Ro Khanna told the outlet that he believed DOGE's efforts were misplaced in the end.

"Initially, I said we should work with Musk to find common ground where there is real waste — like defense contractors, Medicare Advantage overpayments, and prescription drugs. It is sad that DOGE faced opposition in focusing on those issues, and that agencies like USAID and NIH are being dismantled," the Rep said.

Meanwhile, some Democrats took jibes at Musk directly. Rep Jasmine Crockett wrote on X, calling for an investigation into Musk's work.

"Elon came to Washington thinking he could run the government like one of his companies—firing people left and right, gutting essential services, and tearing this s**t up from the ground up," she wrote.

Meanwhile, House Progressive Caucus Chairman Greg Casar (D-Texas) took credit for Musk leaving despite his fixed tenure.

He said in a statement, "Musk’s exit is an enormous victory for Democrats and working people. This is a sign of how powerful the anti-corruption, anti-billionaire movement in American politics can be."

"Musk did not choose to leave because Elon Musk likes to follow the rules. Musk will leave because the American people built enough political pressure that he had no choice," he added.