One of the most fascinating political stories in recent memory has been that of the bromance between Donald Trump and Elon Musk, and now that the latter's time as a special government employee has drawn to a close, rumors of a rift have begun to take hold.

Though the depth of any discord between Trump and Musk is subject to debate, the tech billionaire did recently lament what he views as White House efforts at “undermining” his cost-cutting efforts and a willingness to treat those working with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) as “whipping boys,” as the Daily Mail reports.

Musk's grievances laid bare

The Tesla and SpaceX chief offered his reflections on the last several months during a Tuesday evening interview with CBS, and he did not pull any punches.

Addressing the $3.8 trillion Trump-backed “big, beautiful bill” passed by the House and now under consideration in the Senate, Musk made his skepticism clear, stating that it “undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing.”

Despite his public support of Trump and seeming alignment with much of the president's agenda, Musk said, “I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it,” further opining, “I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful, but I don't know I it can be both.”

It was not only the budget bill that left a bad taste in Musk's mouth, as he also held forth on what he believes was the unfair treatment doled out to members of his DOGE team.

“DOGE is just becoming the whipping boy for everything,” Musk said in remarks to the Washington Post, adding, “Something bad would happen anywhere, and we would get blamed for it even if we had nothing to do with it.”

Conservative voices agree

It is not just Musk currently expressing frustration over seeming congressional indifference to the findings and proposed cuts brought forward by DOGE, as The Hill reports.

A number of conservative figures are now pushing for action designed to codify much of DOGE's work, with the White House stating on Wednesday that a package of such reductions will indeed be sent to Congress next week.

Among those speaking out is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who noted the significant sacrifices -- business and personal -- Musk made to lead DOGE and added, “To see Republicans in Congress cast aside any meaningful spending reductions (and, in fact, fully fund things like USAID) is demoralizing and represents a betrayal of the voters who elected them.”

White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller asserted that the Trump-backed bill was not the appropriate channel through which DOGE cuts should be codified, adding that “a recissions package or an appropriations bill” would be needed, something for which House Speaker Mike Johnson has signaled his willingness to pursue.

Illinois Republican Rep. Mary Miller declared on Saturday, “Every DOGE cut targets waste, fraud, and abuse. Congress MUST codify them quickly. What's the holdup?” though Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-ME) cautioned that while she believes some of DOGE's cuts may be worthy of codification, she does not envision their “across the board” approval, suggesting that a battle could lie ahead.

Amicable parting?

Though mainstream media outlets are doing their best to portray Musk's scheduled departure from the administration has one fraught with rancor and regret, the DOGE leader himself took time to thank Trump on Wednesday for giving him the opportunity to facilitate real reform in government, declaring that the initiative's “mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”

As Musk's tenure drew to an end, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) echoed the sentiments of many when he said that the nation owes a real debt of gratitude for the tech mogul's work, noting that he “Didn't collect a salary, made nothing. He rooted out massive waste, fraud and abuse, and he did so at enormous cost to himself.”