Mostly Done

Elon Musk is stepping back—though apparently not fully away—from his leadership role at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk said his job at DOGE is “mostly done” and plans to focus most of his time going forward on his private companies. The White House says DOGE will continue to function without Musk’s round-the-clock guidance. Musk’s quasi-departure comes as the Trump administration hits the 100-day mark since inauguration, and as legislators on Capitol Hill work to draft and enact “one big, beautiful bill” through a process called budget reconciliation.

Analysis and eternal perspective: Once again, there is every temptation for your view of Musk and his work at DOGE to be mostly formed by your policy and/or partisan persuasions. In some respects, this is appropriate, as the American republican form of government vests a great deal of authority for setting policy in the people temporarily wielding power as a result of elections.

Even so, as a Jesus follower committed to viewing events in your world through the lens of the True and the beautiful, you should strive to view the work of DOGE through an honest, substantive lens, and to view Musk—and every other public official—through the beautiful lens of God’s great love: “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8).

As a practical matter, the fate of spending changes made by DOGE—both up to now and after Musk’s departure—will depend on the decisions of current and future Congresses and presidents. The power of the purse resides in the Congress, and each administration has its own ability to administer funds appropriated by Congress, so it will take some time to fully understand the impact of Musk and DOGE.

The following article originally appeared in Thann’s “The Equipped” Weekly Newsletter. For more information on Thann’s weekly email, click here.