Democrats are grappling with how to take on Elon Musk and his unprecedented efforts to remake the federal government, with some favoring direct attacks on the tech mogul and others wondering if they should aim more at President Trump.
Democrats have struggled to find their footing in the second Trump presidency, even as Trump has offered hundreds of thousands of federal employees buyouts and sought to eliminate entire parts of the government.
Musk as been the point of Trump’s spear as he and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have dug into federal agencies, seeking access to payment systems and working to talk federal workers out of their jobs.
Musk has openly relished his position in demolishing the U.S. Agency of International Development (USAID), saying over the weekend he was feeding it to the wood chipper instead of going to parties.
Such efforts have made Musk an attractive boogeyman for Democrats still trying to pick themselves up from their November losses, all while dealing with the whiplash of Trump’s presidency.
Yet a number of Democrats aren’t so sure their party isn’t making another mistake with its focus on Musk.
“Why are we so distracted here?” said one top Democratic strategist. “Our singular focus should be on Trump. Not the shiny object Musk represents.”
“What’s our focus here? Winning back the House in 2026 or pointing at Musk while yelling, ‘You can’t do that!”
Some Republicans see Musk as an effective lightning rod for Trump, a figure who takes the abuse in place of the new president. It’s a view shared by some Democrats as well.
“Musk is a distraction,” another Democratic donor said. “We have to focus on the guy who is actually sitting in the Oval Office. Not the Hollywood version of this.”
To be sure, Musk isn’t the only figure causing disagreements within the Democratic Party.
Some Democrats think the party needs to begin anew and are frustrated by leaders including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.). Others say the party’s messaging is completely off and they need to refocus on speaking to the issues voters care about.
Musk, some Democrats say, is a good foil because he is a high-profile billionaire who is erratic and out of touch with everyday Americans.
These Democrats say he should be at the center of their fire because DOGE is causing more harm than good.
The party’s biggest power brokers appear to share this view, as their attacks on Musk have escalated.
“Going after Elon and DOGE isn’t going to solve every problem but it sure is a great place to start,” said Democratic strategist Eddie Vale. “Normal people — and even many MAGA people who like Trump — don’t want a bunch of Elon’s incels looking at their tax returns and messing around with the system that sends them their Social Security checks.”
Another Democratic strategist added that “it’s helpful for Democrats to have a different villain than just Trump to go after, especially one that has high name ID and seemingly welcomes being villainized.”
In the House, party leaders and rank-and-file members are telegraphing they’re on board when it comes to using all available avenues to stop Musk’s efforts.
Democrats unveiled a proposal on Thursday designed to shield taxpayer information from “Musk and his IT goons,” in the words of Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.), one of the bill’s sponsors.
Leaders of the Congressional Progressive Caucus on Thursday also urged the party to use all available tools to “fire” Musk.
Schumer took to the social platform X this week, after railing against Musk’s operation at a press conference.
“An unelected shadow government is conducting a hostile takeover of the federal government,” Schumer wrote on the social media platform.
Democrats need to be smarter in the ways they go after Musk, some political observers say.
Republican strategist Susan Del Percio, who has never supported Trump, said it isn’t enough for Democrats to target Musk. They also have to tie him to Trump in tangible ways.
“I understand why they’re going after Musk, but to what end? How does it help them get what they want or hurt the president?” Del Percio said. “It’s Donald Trump who we know is vindictive. It’s Donald Trump who is using Elon Musk to get our most sensitive information.”
Del Percio added that “if Democrats are going to go after Musk, then really go after him.”
“He has a lot of skeletons in his closet,” she said. “Discredit him and tie him to Trump. I would say, ‘The guy who is looking at your personal information couldn’t even get a security clearance.’ Lay out the person who’s making these decisions and connect it to Trump.”
Democratic strategist Lynda Tran echoed those sentiments, saying Democrats should be “mindful” that it isn’t enough to criticize Musk himself. “They have to translate what is troubling about what he is doing and why it matters.”
Tran said the more Democrats focus on Musk’s actions, “the more it is forcing President Trump to assert his own authority, awareness and approval” of it.
To date, Democrats say the attacks have been effective, pointing to cratering poll numbers for Musk.
On Thursday, a new poll from The Economist/YouGov showed Republican support for Musk had fallen dramatically since November, when 47 percent of surveyed Republicans said they wanted Musk to have “a lot” of influence in the Trump administration.
In that survey, 29 percent said they wanted the billionaire to have “a little” influence, while 12 percent said they wanted him to have “none at all.”
But this week’s poll revealed the share of Republicans who wanted Musk to have “a lot” of influence fell to 26 percent, while 43 percent of Republican respondents wanted Musk to have “a little” influence and 17 percent to have “none at all.”
“You are seeing the political liability that he is becoming for Republicans,” the Democratic strategist said.
Even so, Del Percio said Democrats can’t lose sight of the real foil: Trump.
“Musk’s popularity is going down. He’s not a likable guy,” Del Percio said. “But even if he goes away, there’s someone else who’s going to do it, which is why they have to go after Trump.”
Mike Lillis contributed.
