Elon Musk's slash-and-burn approach is giving the White House genuine street cred with House conservatives. But it might not be enough to compensate for the outrage he's provoked among House Democrats.

If Mike Johnson incorporates critical elements of Elon Musk's spending cuts into his budget deal, he could gain key support from hard-liners at his conference.

House Democrats are largely keeping quiet on what they will demand from Republicans to help stave off a government shutdown as the GOP struggles to get its ducks in a row. Why it matters: Republicans will almost certainly need Democratic votes to keep the government open — key leverage that Democrats' grassroots are demanding they use to rein in Elon Musk and DOGE.