For Elon Musk fans, it’s the half-trillion dollar bet. The stock market value of Tesla has surged by that much since Donald Trump’s election, and kept climbing last week even as the electric car maker reported disappointed financial results for last year.

As DOGE chief Elon Musk stokes outrage for shutting federal employees out of their offices, a Trump-appointed prosecutor has vowed to protect the tech billionaire and his staff. Ed Martin, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia,

Democratic lawmakers protested Elon Musk’s sweeping influence over the government with protests, proposed legislation and other attempts to obstruct Trump's agenda.

Elon Musk, the administration's billionaire adviser and Tesla CEO, says the administration is on the verge of shutting the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Musk, who is also CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, discussed the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in a social media talk on Monday on X, which he also owns. Trump has assigned Musk to lead a federal cost-cutting panel.

President Trump has stopped short of saying the U.S. Agency for International Development should be closed. Elon Musk’s comments added to the questions surrounding its future.

Protesters gathered at the Treasury Department to oppose Elon Musk's involvement in federal government restructuring under President Donald Trump.