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Technology

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The Big Story

The evolution of Musk’s White House role

Elon Musk’s first 100 days in the White House were filled with twists and turns as the world’s richest person became one of the most influential and contentious figures in Washington in a matter of weeks.

The tech billionaire wasted no time jumping into the political fray upon President Trump’s return to the White House, moving at breakneck speed to carry out the president’s government cost-cutting initiative, dubbed the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

As DOGE’s work dominated the news and Musk appeared alongside the president nearly every day, he faced mounting scrutiny from the public and even some within Trump’s circle over his increasing influence as a nongovernment employee.

After nearly three months of repeated backlash against Musk and his companies, political strategists say his omnipresence is fading as the dust settles.

“That influence has been reined in a little bit, whether that is his choice or the White House’s choice, I don’t know, but I would guess the White House has put their thumb on the scale a little bit when it comes to Elon,” GOP strategist Brittany Martinez told The Hill.

The first few weeks of DOGE were marked by chaos and confusion as Musk and his low-profile team imposed mass layoffs and spending cuts across federal agencies to reduce the federal workforce.

“Musk hit the ground running with a vengeance and just went after everything,” said Paul Levinson, a professor of communications and media studies at Fordham University.

Musk admitted Wednesday the first few weeks of DOGE were “intense,” adding he spent almost seven days a week at the White House.

The “move fast and break things” approach mirrored Musk’s leadership in Silicon Valley and his technology companies, where the billionaire and a group of loyal deputies slashed employees and programs he deemed unnecessary.

At its inception, DOGE was largely supported by Republican lawmakers, who remain thankful Musk brought a spotlight on government reduction, even as some have frustrations over his approach.

“He has brought incredible energy and creativity to ferreting out waste, fraud and abuse, and I’m very grateful that he’s spent the time and energy to do so,” Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) told The Hill.

GOP strategists acknowledged the effort is nothing new to the party and will likely last past Musk’s time in the White House.

Read more in a full report at TheHill.com.

Welcome to The Hill’s Technology newsletter, we’re Miranda Nazzaro and Julia Shapero — tracking the latest moves from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley.

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Essential Reads

How policy will be impacting the tech sector now and in the future:

Trump: ‘Internet people’ who once ‘hated me’ now ‘kissing my a‑‑’

President Trump touted the newfound support he has received from major technology leaders in his second term Thursday, claiming they are now “kissing” his “a‑‑.” “If you look at some of these internet people, I know so many of them. Elon [Musk] is so terrific,” Trump said during a commencement speech at the University of Alabama. “You know, they all hated me in my first term, and now …

Full Story

Democrats eye Musk’s role in missile defense shield

A group of 42 Democratic lawmakers wants the Pentagon’s watchdog to look into billionaire Elon Musk’s role in the contracting process for the “Golden Dome” missile defense shield, a project pushed by President Trump meant to protect the U.S. homeland from incoming missiles. In a letter sent to the Defense Department inspector general on Thursday, the House and Senate lawmakers asked for a review …

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Trump budget would eliminate CISA disinformation offices, alleging censorship

President Trump proposed shuttering the disinformation offices and programs at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), alleging in the White House budget request that they contributed to the censorship of the president and his supporters. The president’s budget proposal, released Friday, claimed CISA’s disinformation offices and programs “functioned as a hub in the Censorship Industrial …

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TikTok fined $600 million for China data transfers that broke EU privacy rules

LONDON (AP) — A European Union privacy watchdog fined TikTok 530 million euros ($600 million) on Friday after a four-year investigation found that the video sharing app’s data transfers to China put users at risk of spying, in breach of strict EU data privacy rules. Ireland’s Data Protection Commission also sanctioned TikTok for not being transparent with users about where their personal data was being sent and …

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Tomorrow’s news today

Stay ahead of the political trends by signing up for The Hill’s Evening Report newsletter. Click here to sign up

The Refresh

News we’ve flagged from the intersection of tech and other topics:

Nvidia working on China-tailored chips amid US export ban (The Information)
Apple, Anthropic team up to build AI coding platform (Bloomberg)

Crypto Corner

Trump family’s latest venture stokes ethics concerns

Welcome to Crypto Corner, a daily feature focused on digital currency and its outlook in Washington.

President Trump is facing new heat over his family’s crypto venture, World Liberty Financial.

Venture co-founder Zach Witkoff, sitting besides Trump’s son, Eric Trump, announced World Liberty Financial’s new stablecoin will be used by Abu Dhabi firm MGX for a $2 billion investment in Binance Holdings Ltd.

“We thank MGX and Binance for their trust in us,” Witkoff said, according to a Bloomberg report. Witkoff is the son of Steve Witkoff, who is currently serving as Trump’s special envoy.

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, was mired in controversy in recent years. The company pleaded guilty to anti-money laudering and U.S. sanctions violations in 2023, and founder Changpeng Zhao was sentenced to four months in prison.

The announcement links the Trump family to Binance and comes amid mounting scrutiny over how the president may be financially benefiting from the family venture.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a longtime crypto skeptic, was quick to slam the stablecoin announcement Thursday.

“A shady fund backed by a foreign government just announced it will make a $2 billion deal using Donald Trump’s stablecoins,” Warren said Thursday.

She seized on the announcement as an opportunity to speak out against the GENIUS Act, a Senate bill that would create a regulatory framework for payment stablecoins.

She argued the bill will “make it easier” for the Trump family “to line their own pockets.”

Crypto observers have warned the Trump family’s business ventures could be used as a target for Democrats who are less friendly to digital assets.

A White House spokesperson pushed back against the argument Trump is personally benefiting from the venture.

“President Trump’s assets are in a trust managed by his children. There are no conflicts of interest,” White House deputy press assistant Anna Kelly told The Hill.

In Other News

Branch out with other reads on The Hill:

Tim Cook says Trump tariffs could cost Apple more than $900M in June quarter

Apple CEO Tim Cook said President Trump’s tariffs could tank the company’s profits in the second quarter during a Thursday earnings call. “For the June quarter, currently we are not able to precisely estimate the impact of tariffs, as we are uncertain of potential future actions prior to the end of the quarter,” Cook told attendees. “However, for some color, assuming the current global tariff rates, policies, and …

Full Story

What Others are Reading

Two key stories on The Hill right now:

Trump administration asks Supreme Court to let DOGE access Social Security data

The Trump administration on Friday asked the Supreme Court to let the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) access millions of Americans’ personal … Read more

Trump proposes steep cuts in first budget request of second term

President Trump unveiled the White House budget request for fiscal 2026 on Friday, a set of proposals that would make steep cuts to nondefense programs … Read more

What Others are Reading

Opinions related to tech submitted to The Hill:

You’re all caught up. See you next week!

Technology

Technology

The evolution of Musk’s White House role

Tomorrow’s news today

Stay ahead of the political trends by signing up for The Hill’s Evening Report newsletter. Click here to sign up

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