T reasury Secretary Scott Bessent criticized Elon Musk 's new political party, saying the world's wealthiest man wasn't a popular part of the Trump administration. Asked about Musk's move, Bessent told CNN's Dana Bash that the ideas behind the administration's Department of Government Efficiency effort, also known as DOGE, were "very popular."

President Donald Trump’s treasury secretary just told Elon Musk to stay out of politics. Cabinet member Scott Bessent took a shot at the Tesla CEO and former White House adviser after he revealed he was forming his own political party over the weekend.

Driving the news: Bessent, with whom Musk once had a heated spat in the White House, said on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday that "the principles of DOGE were very popular" — but Musk was not. Musk's massive slashes through the federal government left a bruise on his reputation and his company.