EVEN AFTER MISSTEPS AND DEMOCRATIC ATTACKS, DOGE SUPPORT IS STILL STRONG. President Donald Trump has an obvious fondness for Elon Musk, but when he is asked about the DOGE chief, Trump sometimes begins by noting how recent their acquaintance is. “So, number one, I didn’t know him well until the campaign,” Trump told me during a White House interview this week. “But when he decided to go for me, he went big.”

Trump explained that not only is Musk a “smart guy,” but “he’s also got a following.” The Tesla and SpaceX founder and owner of X “is somebody that’s respected by a lot of people.” That was important to Trump last year as he ran for the White House. “I needed somebody that could speak and be respected when he spoke,” the president said.