For now, Trump appears happy to allow Musk to take the heat. Speaking to reporters this week, Trump said Musk was acting with the “approval” of the White House. He also made clear that Musk was leading the charge on the administration’s most aggressive efforts to slash the federal government.

Representative Ro Khanna has known Elon Musk for more than a decade, so he thought he should raise some concerns about the billionaire’s assault on the federal government where he would be sure to see them.

The party has struggled with how to respond to President Trump’s aggressive efforts to remake the federal bureaucracy and other controversies.