ADEM YAVUZ ARSLAN | COMMENTARY
And the expected has happened: Elon Musk has stepped down from his post in the Trump administration. I say “expected” because anyone familiar with both Elon Musk and Donald Trump — and more importantly, with the realities of Washington, D.C. — could have predicted that this alliance wouldn’t last long. In fact, in a column I wrote on February 22, I foresaw that Musk and Trump would eventually part ways in the near future.
Musk confirmed the rumors in a statement on X, saying, “As my term as a special government officer comes to an end, I thank President Donald Trump for the opportunity to reduce waste.” And with that, Musk’s Washington adventure — which had begun with chainsaw theatrics — came to an end after what can only be described as a short stint.
THE CHAINSAW MOSTLY CUT HIMSELF
Just three months ago, Elon Musk had taken the stage in front of an enthusiastic conservative crowd, swinging a chainsaw. This scene not only symbolized the theatrical nature of Trump-era Washington but also reflected Musk’s new identity within government. Once a technological genius, Musk had rebranded himself as a figure of “government efficiency” and had become a directly influential presence at the heart of the federal government.
As he waved the chainsaw in the air, he declared, “We’re doing our best — but having a little fun while we’re at it.” But that fun didn’t last long.
In recent weeks, Musk experienced mounting tensions with both President Trump and the shareholders of his own companies, leading to his departure from his role in Washington. Although Trump expressed continued support for Musk and even announced a joint press conference at the White House, Musk’s actual influence had already waned.
Musk’s most tangible achievements in public service ended up benefiting his own private enterprises. SpaceX won significant government contracts under the Trump administration, and key institutions like NASA and the Air Force began to be managed by people close to Musk. Regulatory bodies like the Federal Communications Commission also came under his sway.
Despite these gains, Musk’s main promise — to cut $1 trillion from the federal budget — largely remained unfulfilled. The so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), whose name was practically borrowed from internet memes, failed to deliver. Plagued by legal and technical blunders, the department not only disrupted public services but also triggered a wave of lawsuits against the government.
According to its own website, 47% of the canceled contracts brought no savings to taxpayers.
MUSK CONFRONTS THE “CAPITAL REALITY”
Musk’s governmental experiment quickly ran into the complexities of bureaucracy and the constraints of the law. DOGE reported that it had achieved only 18% of its targeted cuts, leaving behind thousands of laid-off public employees, chaotic debates over data privacy, and hundreds of pages of lawsuits.
One of the most controversial projects involved consolidating vast amounts of personal citizen data into a single pool. Information that was previously kept in separate databases — such as Social Security, immigration, banking, and employment records — was now merged. This move had noticeable effects, particularly in enforcement actions against immigrants. The IRS’s data-sharing with the Department of Homeland Security led to the resignation of several officials.
Privacy advocates warned that this step dangerously increased the government’s surveillance capacity over its citizens.
THE X BATTLEGROUNDS
Musk also conducted influence operations through social media during his time in government. Using his platform X, he applied pressure on Republicans, intimidated cabinet members, and tried to forcefully inject his views into public discourse. But this aggressive approach also had its limits. For example, his $25 million intervention in the Wisconsin Supreme Court elections failed to achieve the desired outcome. The candidate Musk supported lost by a wide margin.
This loss reverberated not just politically but also economically. Tesla sales began to decline both in the U.S. and abroad. Musk’s increasingly right-wing political stance was no longer a selling point — it had become a deterrent for many customers. An anti-Musk advertisement published in the UK even compared him to Hitler, delivering a scathing political critique.
HE’S LEAVING THE CAPITAL, BUT…
Even though Musk has stepped away, his influence in Washington has not been completely erased. Thanks to the Trump administration’s “Golden Dome” missile defense project, SpaceX could still win billions in new contracts. Some legal obstacles facing the company have also started to soften. The Department of Justice has shelved a discrimination case against SpaceX over citizenship-based hiring practices. In a separate case, the same department submitted a document affirming that Musk had served in an official capacity in the White House.
Environmentalists, too, have felt the impact of Musk’s rise. Biologists who monitored fish and bird habitats at SpaceX’s launch site in Texas were dismissed or reassigned. “There’s basically no real oversight left there now,” said representatives of local environmental groups.
The political show that Musk launched with a chainsaw seems to have ended — for now. But the wreckage he left behind reveals just how fragile the public order of not just Washington, but America as a whole, has become. The journey of an entrepreneur who once promised freedom and innovation — only to become a tool of surveillance and control within the state apparatus — is a story that deserves serious reflection.
THE CAPITAL DEFEATED MUSK TOO
When former President Obama came to office, he declared, “We will resist the capital!” Yet soon after, Washington’s unique rules reshaped even his team. Members of Obama’s close circle began making headlines for their glamorous lifestyles.
Political observers often refer to Washington, D.C., as a “suck-up city.” The phrase “suck-up” has two meanings: flattery and sycophancy, but also the idea of being absorbed or swallowed whole. Obama’s team claimed they wouldn’t fall for the capital’s temptations, but before long, they became part of the “swamp.”
It appears Musk, too, confronted the realities of the capital and couldn’t resist. Washington, D.C. — built atop an old swamp — managed to consume even the world’s richest man in just three months.
