In a stunning turn of events, Elon Musk is facing backlash from an unlikely source—FOX News, a media outlet that has long been seen as an ally to the billionaire entrepreneur and political appointee.

 FOX News Publicly Criticizes Musk On-Air

During a recent interview with host Sean Hannity, FOX News openly challenged Musk over his controversial leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a Trump-era initiative aimed at slashing federal spending.

While FOX has typically offered Musk favorable coverage, this time Hannity criticized the scope and constitutionality of DOGE’s sweeping budget cuts. He called many of the department’s moves “un-American” and warned that they were harming middle-class Americans.

“We didn’t vote for a Silicon Valley CEO to gut essential services,” Hannity said, visibly frustrated.

 Fallout from DOGE Decisions

Under Musk’s leadership, DOGE eliminated more than 120,000 federal jobs and shut down or hollowed out 11 government agencies. While Musk claimed the initiative saved $160 billion, this figure fell dramatically short of the promised $2 trillion in savings.

Furthermore, the Penn Wharton Budget Model reported that overall government spending has actually increased, prompting critics to call DOGE a failed experiment with severe human consequences.

 Musk Responds to Media Backlash

In response to the public criticism, Musk defended his work, saying the reforms were “painful but necessary” to address long-standing inefficiencies in the federal government.

However, he acknowledged the personal toll the job had taken, telling reporters, “This has not been easy. I’m attacked constantly—online, in the media, even in public. I’ve seen Teslas vandalized and set on fire.”

A Turning Point for Musk?

The public rebuke from FOX News may mark a major turning point for Musk’s political ambitions and public image. With Tesla stock struggling, growing European protests against his leadership, and even his allies in conservative media beginning to question him, Musk’s grip on both the corporate and political world appears to be loosening.

As he prepares to step back from his role at DOGE, the future remains uncertain—not only for the program itself, but for Musk’s influence on American politics.