When he is not sharing memes of himself as a conquering Roman centurion or shrieking while brandishing a chain saw onstage at a CPAC conference, Elon Musk occasionally adopts the pose of a reasonable moderate offering an open hand of compromise that Democrats slap away.

Personnel from Elon Musk's government downsizing team called DOGE held what appeared to be their first meetings at the Pentagon on Friday, a U.S. official told Reuters, as senior military officers brace for billions in possible spending cuts.