Musk Lays Groundwork For 'Big Donor' Role In Midterm Elections As Time With DOGE Ends

Elon Musk After DOGE: Is the DOGE head Elon Musk re-routing his focus as big donor ahead of mid-term elections is a questioning lingering in the top administrative circles in the U.S. Reportedly, the tech-billionaire has begun laying down the groundwork to establish himself as the megadonor in next year's mid-term elections.

Last week, Musk, who became the poster-boy for cost-cutting under the Trump regime, declared that his role at the White House was mainly done. Musk is knwo to view X, formerly Twitter, and his financial resources as more effective than his time as part of the administration, a source revealed to Reuters. 

What's Next For DOGE Head Elon Musk? 

Sharing their expectations from Elon Musk, the world's wealthiest individual, one expressed that he would sustain his influence as a political adviser ahead of investing in 2026's mid-term elections, cited a Reuters report. 

A second individual stressed on how exit panned out for the X owner mattered. "The priority is keeping him close - without turning a major ally into a liability heading into 2026," he said, citing a Reuters report.

After overseeing job cuts at nearly every federal agency while leading the Department of Government Efficiency, Musk told investors last week that he would reduce his time with DOGE to a day or two a week from May. As a special government employee, he can serve for 130 days, which expires at the end of May. 

"I think he's exhausted and exasperated, especially with the attacks on his companies," said a third person who has knowledge of Musk's efforts at DOGE. By “stepping back, you make yourself less of a target.”

Is Public Disapproval & Tesla Trouble Driving Musk's Decision?

Tesla has faced a troubling few month. The once-top electric vehicle label became subject to being torched, and vandalized. The anti-public sentiment for tesla nosedives the deliveries of its e-vehicle line-up. The stock price also took a hit, prompting the view that the only way for Musk to save face was to exit mainstream politics. 

The has been tarnished by protests against Musk's far-right politics. Tesla vehicles have been vandalized. Deliveries of its aging vehicle lineup have nosedived. And its stock price has tumbled, prompting some investors to publicly urge Musk to exit politics.

Public disapproval of Musk, a former Democrat, has surged. Some 58 per cent of respondents in a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted this month had an unfavorable opinion of Musk. In 2022, his disapproval ratings hovered in the mid-30s, opinion polls showed.

As Trump approaches 100 days in office, Musk's time in the White House has been marked by the pursuit of one of the most substantial transformations of the federal workforce in decades - as well as by persistent questions about conflicts of interest and lack of transparency. Many of his companies had dealings with agencies and government departments targeted by DOGE.

The White House has said Musk's business interests do not conflict with his role at DOGE. Musk told reporters in February that he was fighting waste, had zero conflicts and was "maximally transparent."

After Trump's inauguration, Musk quickly emerged as a powerful force in the White House: hyper-visible, unapologetically brash and unfettered by traditional norms.

Trump often praised Musk's boldness. Still, the White House's Office of Legislative Affairs, which serves as a liaison between the White House and Congress, received frequent calls from Republican lawmakers expressing anger over Musk's cuts to federal programs and the political fallout in their districts.

Was Wiconsin Election A Turning Point?

Then came the recent Wisconsin Supreme Court race, one of the most expensive judicial contests in the U.S. history. After Musk made himself the face of the Republican campaign to end the court's liberal majority, the high-profile April 1 election exposed the limits of his political influence and the risks of trying to buy sway in a battleground state.

Up until Wisconsin, Musk had operated with near-total autonomy in the White House, driving DOGE initiatives largely on his own terms, two of the people said. Following the defeat in Wisconsin, he seemed to take on a lower political profile, posting more about space and electric cars than politics on X.