Musk has become the face of the Trump administration’s slash-and-burn government downsizing efforts, known as the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. The department has promised massive federal worker layoffs and aims to drastically reduce government spending.

Of course, Trump was once a sharp critic of Musk, too, which is especially notable given how tight the pair are now. A look at some of Trump's comments on EVs — and Musk: Trump marked Christmas 2023 with a social media post lumping “All Electric Car Lunacy” in with a number of political enemies that he said “are looking to destroy our once great USA.

The president has supported Elon Musk throughout protests against Tesla, but he hasn't always been on the side of electric vehicles.