Billionaire Elon Musk was widely ridiculed after sharing a photo of his fake law enforcement badge—complete with the badge number "69420"—that declares him "The Dogefather," flexing his authority as the leader of the advisory Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is at the center of the ongoing slash-and-burn approach to gutting federal spending.
Musk appeared positively thrilled when he shared the photo—perhaps the most cringey thing he's done, at least thus far, since attaining unprecedented political power.
You can see his post and the photo below.
@elonmusk/X
The cringe was unreal—and he was clowned pretty much immediately.
Musk’s latest post follows his pledge to “significantly” reduce his involvement in the U.S. government amid mounting criticism and financial setbacks at Tesla. The electric carmaker reported a 20% drop in sales and a more than 70% decline in profits during the first quarter of the year.
Facing accusations that he’s shifted focus away from Tesla, Musk said his “time allocation to Doge” would decrease to just one or two days per week starting next month.
His political activity has triggered global protests and boycotts of Tesla vehicles. As a temporary government employee, Musk is typically limited to 130 workdays annually—a threshold he is expected to reach by late next month, based on President Trump’s inauguration date.
Despite contributing over $250 million to Trump’s re-election campaign, it remains unclear when Musk will fully step down. Tesla, meanwhile, declined to provide a growth forecast, warning investors that “changing political sentiment” could further weaken demand.
President Trump’s tariffs on China have also taken a toll on Tesla. While the company assembles its vehicles in the U.S., it relies heavily on components manufactured in China. Tesla warned that “rapidly evolving trade policy” could disrupt its supply chain and drive up costs, further straining its financial outlook.
