In an unexpected move, Fox News host Jessica Tarlov offered a public “peace offering” to Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk following his resignation from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a Trump administration initiative aimed at cutting waste and restoring sanity to federal spending.

During a segment on The Five, Tarlov acknowledged Musk’s principled opposition to what she called the “Big Beautiful Bill” — a massive legislative package that includes aggressive tax cuts and immigration reforms, but also, in Musk’s view, bloats the federal budget.

“And what the Democrats are arguing and what I think you couldn’t deny is that it’s reckless at this moment to ram through trillions of dollars in tax cuts for the wealthy when you haven’t cut any of the spending. Which is why Ron Johnson right now is a no. Rand Paul is a no. And they don’t have the numbers for this,” she said, highlighting the split among fiscally conservative senators.

Tarlov didn’t stop there, pointing out the rift between the administration’s current spending plans and the work Musk tried to accomplish at DOGE.

“And I’m not saying that the Democrats are going to get Elon Musk back. Right. But he’s so clearly disappointed talking about the reconciliation bill and the work that he’s done. And also Tesla is out there now tweeting saying you can’t do these cuts that get rid of the energy tax incentives because we’re gonna, the grid is going to be smashed as a result of it, and we’re going to lose our energy independence,” she said.

In a moment that seemed part sincere, part tongue-in-cheek, Tarlov added, “So I’m campaigning for you, Elon. We only talked for a little while when you were on the show, but we’ll take you back and we could DOGE this the right way together.”

Musk’s departure from his advisory role to President Donald Trump marks the end of an ambitious yet often embattled crusade to streamline the federal government. The Wednesday announcement came via X — the social media platform Musk owns — concluding his time as a senior adviser and head of DOGE, a position through which he sought to bring Silicon Valley-style efficiency to Washington’s bloated bureaucracy.

Throughout his tenure, Musk pushed to slash federal spending by $2 trillion, a goal that was eventually whittled down to $150 billion amid stiff resistance from entrenched interests. According to the Associated Press, Musk’s vision ran headfirst into the D.C. swamp, with bureaucrats and political operatives resisting the kind of accountability and reform that millions of Americans have demanded for years.

He clashed with senior Trump administration officials who were reportedly unreceptive to the aggressive pace of reform. Still, Musk remained committed to exposing inefficiencies and proposing serious fiscal restraint — a mission that resonated with constitutional conservatives and fiscal hawks alike.

Even though Musk’s role was always expected to be temporary, many in the administration remained vague about his exit timeline. His announcement, posted directly to the public, signaled a clean break — but not an end to the mission.

“As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,” Musk wrote. “The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”

The so-called “Big Beautiful Bill,” currently under debate in Congress, includes tax reforms, immigration crackdowns, and modest spending cuts — but Musk criticized it for doing too little to rein in out-of-control government expenditures. He described the legislation as a “massive spending bill” that increases the federal deficit and “undermines the work” of DOGE.

“I think a bill can be big or it could be beautiful,” Musk said. “But I don’t know if it could be both.”

From the White House, President Trump offered a measured take on the bill, suggesting that while he doesn’t agree with every part of it, there’s room for improvement.

“I’m not happy about certain aspects of it, but I’m thrilled by other aspects of it,” Trump said, signaling potential revisions as negotiations continue.

Musk’s departure from DOGE may mark the end of his direct role in Washington, but his influence is far from over. As federal agencies continue to grapple with the pressure to cut waste and operate more efficiently, Musk’s vision may yet prove to be the blueprint for the leaner, more accountable government President Trump has long championed.