Original Author: Jin Yan
Reprinted: Lawrence
On May 1, local time, U.S. media reported that National Security Advisor Mike Woles is about to leave and will be reassigned as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, with the vacancy to be filled by Secretary of State Rubio. Woles' deputy, Alex Wong, will also be leaving; he assisted in arranging Trump’s summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and is one of the few senior officials with practical diplomatic experience in East Asia. Trump’s Middle East envoy, Witekow, is considering replacing Mike Woles as National Security Advisor, but no decision has been made yet.
Trump's first term was characterized by frequent changes at the top, but during his second term, he did not make significant personnel changes until he had been in the White House for a hundred days. The National Security Council (NSC) is the core agency for U.S. presidents to formulate and coordinate security policy, with members often making critical decisions on global hotspot conflicts. Woles is seen as a steadfast supporter of traditional security alliances (such as NATO) and is one of the more moderate voices advocating for external coordination within the Trump administration. This personnel change came very suddenly, with State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce learning about it from reporters at the briefing on the same day.
Meanwhile, the globally prominent billionaire business magnate Elon Musk, who was once at the forefront at the beginning of the year, has now faded from power and been ousted from the core decision-making circle. On Wednesday, April 30, local time, Musk claimed at a White House meeting that the government efficiency department (DOGE) he leads has saved $160 billion in expenses to date. This is far from his promise last fall to 'cut at least $2 trillion.'
Some organizations have reported that costs related to DOGE, including 'layoffs, rehire, productivity loss, and paid leave for thousands of workers, will exceed $135 billion in this fiscal year,' meaning that the DOGE project may actually lead to an increase in net government spending.
Double Exit
Musk played a very special role in the Trump administration by supporting Trump’s election with campaign funds totaling in the nine figures. He frequently participated in phone consultations with foreign heads of state, chaired high-profile meetings at the Pentagon and NSA, and even spoke directly with Indian Prime Minister Modi. Now, Trump's right-hand men are gradually taking shape, including trade advisor Navarro, who has become a crucial figure in the Trump administration, as no one dares to directly challenge his views, giving him a rare 'one-man rule' status; another is Treasury Secretary Mnuchin, whose influence has risen as Trump’s policies have shaken the dollar's dominant status and led to a rush to 'sell America.' Musk has had intense disputes with both of these White House heavyweights. Treasury Secretary Mnuchin and Musk exchanged heated words outside the Oval Office; Musk called Navarro an 'idiot' on social media platform X.
U.S. media reports that the first female White House Chief of Staff, Wiles, played a significant role in Musk's exit. She believed that Musk posed a threat to the collaborative spirit she wanted to establish at the White House. Her efforts greatly reduced Musk's chances of appearing in the West Wing, ultimately leading to his fade-out.
On April 30, during a cabinet meeting at the White House, Musk wore two hats—one a red 'Make America Great Again' hat favored by Trump and the other a DOGE hat. Musk repeatedly switched hats during the meeting and ultimately decided to wear both at once. Trying to juggle both political and business interests, Musk now faces a double exit.
Musk's formal position in the cabinet will end around May 30, after which he will serve as an informal advisor. Additionally, due to the decline in Tesla's stock price and some investors' dissatisfaction with Musk's deep involvement in politics, the Tesla board has begun seriously considering finding a successor for Musk. Although Tesla later publicly denied this rare claim, Musk has become a liability for Tesla, resulting in a 9% year-over-year decline in the company's revenue in the first quarter, a 20% year-over-year drop in automotive revenue, and a 71% year-over-year plunge in net profit.
Recently, Musk told investors during Tesla's earnings call that starting in May, he will significantly reduce his work hours at DOGE and refocus on Tesla. The Tesla brand has been severely damaged and faces performance challenges due to Musk's political involvement—sales and performance are both declining significantly. An unnamed employee from the government efficiency department told (Finance) that Musk had previously led a request requiring government employees to work 40 hours a week in the office, or they would lose their jobs. They found that, in essence, ten government workers could complete the work of one person, and Musk chose to confront the large group of government employees, who vented their dissatisfaction directly onto him.
Musk is seen as the soul of Tesla. Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives once said, 'Tesla is Musk, and Musk is Tesla.' However, Tesla is currently facing numerous challenges, including an aging product line, intensified competition from China, and the political backlash triggered by the DOGE initiative, all of which have led to declines in both product demand and profits.
Recently, Musk's rocket and satellite company has been collaborating with software manufacturer Palantir and drone manufacturer Anduril to bid for the construction of a key part of the 'Golden Dome' project, which has attracted significant interest from rapidly growing defense startups in the tech industry. Reports suggest that Musk's SpaceX and its two partners are expected to win a bid for a key component of President Trump's 'Golden Dome' missile defense system. However, 42 Democratic lawmakers have called for a review of Musk's role in this missile defense system bidding process.
Musk's SpaceX has garnered significant attention. SpaceX and its two partners are expected to win a bid for a key component of President Trump's 'Golden Dome' missile defense system. Photo by Jin Yan
Personnel Turmoil
In March of this year, Woles came under close scrutiny for mistakenly adding Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic to a Signal chat group. Goldberg disclosed discussions between Woles and senior national security officials regarding military strike plans against Houthi targets in Yemen. After Woles privately acknowledged the accuracy of the reports, White House officials debated whether he should resign, but Woles never offered to resign, and Trump did not ask him to resign at that time. Trump has publicly expressed support for Woles, calling him 'a good guy' who 'learned his lesson.'
Woles' resignation marks the end of a month-long personnel upheaval within Trump's national security apparatus. Since April 1, the National Security Council has dismissed at least 20 members, resulting in severe personnel shortages in several key departments. Insiders reveal that the actual scale of layoffs exceeds previous reports, leading to staffing shortages in some key agencies related to national security.
The layoffs were triggered when conservative commentator Laura Loomer submitted a list of officials deemed 'disloyal' to President Trump, resulting in about 15 people being dismissed in the first week, with the layoff process still ongoing. The media reports that several key departments within the NSC are currently facing near standstill, including work teams responsible for Latin American policy, international organization affairs, and legislative affairs.
Additionally, on April 18, the U.S. Department of Defense dismissed three senior officials who were accused of 'unauthorized disclosure of national security information.' The three officials later issued a joint statement strongly denying the allegations and accusing the Pentagon of 'baseless defamation.' The Department of Defense had previously launched investigations into multiple 'leak incidents' to determine how sensitive information regarding the U.S. military's second aircraft carrier heading to the Red Sea, military action plans regarding the Panama Canal, Musk's visit to the Pentagon as the head of the 'government efficiency department,' and the U.S. halting intelligence collection for Ukraine was exposed by the media.
The U.S. Department of Defense has initiated investigations into multiple 'leak incidents.' Photo by Jin Yan
After Trump returned to the White House, the Pentagon has already conducted a 'purge' of senior officials, having dismissed high-ranking officials such as Charles Brown, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff appointed by the Biden administration, in February.
These purges have severely impacted the morale of certain departments within the national security apparatus. These officials also added that some government departments lack relevant national security expertise, making it difficult in certain cases to attract senior talent.
