For weeks, White House officials and Republican operatives weren’t quite sure when, or if, Elon Musk would actually be leaving the government. “Everybody is in a bit of a fucking pinch,” a Republican with knowledge of the situation tells WIRED. “DOGE is popular,” says a source close to the White House. A Republican donor organizer and campaign adviser tells WIRED that they’re unconvinced Musk won’t come back. Nonetheless, they say, they’re telling clients running for office—both new candidates and incumbents—to use Musk’s exit as a chance to distance themselves from the DOGE chain saw.