Something strange is happening in Washington and online: Elon Musk is missing.
The man who once dominated headlines, Cabinet meetings, Twitter threads, and even Air Force One is suddenly quiet — almost invisible. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO, and former political showman of the Trump administration, has pulled back hard from the spotlight. No more near-daily posts. No more photo ops. No more chaos. And everyone’s noticing.
“I miss him,” said Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a rare Republican still willing to say Musk’s name in public.
From Everywhere to Nowhere.
Not long ago, Musk was all over Donald Trump’s social media. On Truth Social, Trump posted about him regularly. “I love Elon Musk!” read one fundraising email from February. Now? Crickets. Since April, Trump hasn’t mentioned Musk once. His name has vanished from the president’s speeches, fundraising emails, and press briefings. Even the White House’s official social media accounts have dropped him.
And it’s not just the president. Lawmakers, GOP operatives, and even Musk’s allies have gone silent. Once at the center of the administration’s drive to slash federal spending through the so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” — known as DOGE — Musk’s exit from the political center stage has been as sudden as his rise.
Why the Disappearing Act?
There are plenty of theories. Some say Musk is still reeling from his brutal loss in Wisconsin, where he helped fund a conservative Supreme Court candidate — and became a major target.
“He’s finished, done, gone. He polls terrible. People hate him,” said one Republican strategist. “He’d go to Wisconsin thinking he can buy people’s votes, wear the cheese hat, act like a 9-year-old… It’s offensive to people.”
Polls back that up. Musk is less popular than Trump, with his approval numbers collapsing across the board — even among key Republican voters. One poll showed voters supported government cost-cutting, but not if Musk was involved. Another showed most wanted him out of government altogether.
“The public supported the effort to end wasteful Washington spending, but they did not support the way that it was done,” said GOP pollster Frank Luntz.
Even Trump insiders admit the Musk show may have gone too far.
“We got too close to the fence. We mowed too far,” said Sen. Jim Justice (R-W.V.). “We just adjust. That’s the process that’s going on.”
A Liability, Not an Asset
Musk’s presence in the White House once looked like a political gamechanger. Now, Republicans see him as a problem.
Even Democrats — who had been using Musk as a political punching bag — are adjusting.
“Ultimately, the issue here was never about Elon Musk, it was about Elon Musk-ism,” said Democratic strategist Jesse Ferguson. “It’s about real-world damage that he and Trump have caused.”
But Democrats aren’t done using his name. From Pennsylvania to California, Democratic candidates are still calling out Musk in speeches, press releases, and ads — though fewer are making him the main villain. He’s now a supporting character in a broader narrative about the Trump GOP.
What’s Musk Actually Doing?
Musk hasn’t tweeted since June. For a guy who used to tweet through everything — business decisions, political rants, even family drama — the silence is deafening.
Here’s what might be behind the vanishing act:
Tesla trouble: Massive layoffs, falling stock, and Musk himself saying factories are “money furnaces.”
“It should be like a giant roaring sound which is the sound of money on fire,” Musk said.
Twitter saga: After his chaotic purchase, the platform has been stuck in legal and financial limbo.
Personal turmoil: On the day of his last tweet, Musk’s daughter publicly cut ties, writing, “I no longer live with or wish to be related to my biological father in any way, shape or form.”
SpaceX headaches: Sexual misconduct allegations, a staff rebellion, and firings at SpaceX have raised eyebrows.
Mars obsession: Musk may just be buried in SpaceX’s Starship project, trying to salvage a win while his reputation burns back on Earth.
Elon Musk went from the face of Trump’s war on government waste to a name that no one wants to say out loud. His political usefulness has evaporated, his popularity tanked, and even Trump is done with the drama.
But don’t mistake silence for surrender. Musk has money, reach, and a platform — and he’s not afraid to use any of them when it suits him. For now, though, the question remains: Where’s Elon Musk?
