The sister of Country music legend Dolly Parton, Stella Parton, has issued a rebuke of President Donald Trump, billionaire Elon Musk and Republicans on Friday over recent efforts the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has made.
Why It Matters
Stella’s older sister, Dolly, has notably tried to stay out of partisan politics as the “Jolene” singer has refused to reveal how she voted in past elections. Stella’s reaction aligns with many Trump and Musk critics, with polling showing a dip in approval for the new administration.
Meanwhile, this comes as Trump created DOGE, a task force led by Musk, to reduce government costs and the federal workforce. In its first month of operation, it has restructured multiple federal agencies and recommended mass layoffs.
Musk has called for sweeping cuts to federal government spending, claiming it should be reduced by up to $2 trillion annually. Supporters argue this will boost efficiency and help tackle the national debt, while critics argue it will reduce access to government services.
Stella Parton performs at Bush Hall on January 21, 2017 in London, England. Jo Hale/Redferns/Getty Images
What To Know
In a series of posts on X, formerly Twitter, Stella condemned Trump’s administration and Musk over DOGE’s recent efforts to make sweeping cuts.
“The chain saw massacre of the American government was a bit too much for me to absorb this week. Sorry guys, but this immature behavior by a guy who has us all in a vice ain’t working for me! And the current administration and his co conspirators are all a vile bunch of little creatures! IMO. [Senator] Lindsey Graham and [Senator] Mitch McConnell can go straight to hell as well!” Stella Parton wrote.
While it is unclear why Stella named Graham, a South Carolina Republican, and McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, specifically, her remarks come as the Senate GOP pressed forward Wednesday with their $340 billion budget bill, prioritizing mass deportations and border security, despite internal GOP divisions and last-minute pushback from Trump.
In addition, her remarks come as McConnell announced Thursday that he will not seek reelection in 2026, bringing an end to his decades-long career as a key power broker in the Senate. While he championed conservative causes, McConnell ultimately saw his influence challenged by the rise of Trump-era GOP populism.
Stella continued to condemn the Trump administration’s efforts, adding: “While they are cutting and slashing and most likely the most vulnerable amongst us will suffer yet Trump has grifted off his country his entire life and Musk is rich from federal loans in the billions while legitimate tax payers are harassed. Blame it on the silent majority who did nothing and said nothing. They may be the worst of us. How I really feel is I’ve never taken an ” entitlement” neither did my parents but they managed to raise 11 kids but the one spewing entitlements is actually taking entitlements and wasn’t even a freaking citizen. Give me a break!”
She added: “I’m sure there’s a lot of waste and cheating going on but the rest of us who pay our taxes and don’t cheat the system are being subjected to this harassment as well. Start at the top, cut the head off the snake and you will see it all pouring out from the top. MM and his grifting lil wife have had their fingers in the pie since the last century. Look into their business dealings. Plus a slew of others.”
Stella’s remarks come after DOGE has continued its efforts to downsize government employees and agencies, announcing last week that it will continue to target other government agencies such as a broader effort by the Department of Health and Human Services being made to reduce its workforce, which includes the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institutes of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
However, legal challenges continue as attorneys general from 14 states filed a lawsuit in a Washington, D.C. federal court arguing that Musk was illegally appointed and calling for the court to stop DOGE’s drastic cuts across the federal government. The lawsuit states that DOGE has spread “chaos and confusion” across the U.S. and describes Musk as “an agent of chaos.”
Meanwhile, earlier this month a Economist/YouGov poll showed that only 13 percent of adults want Musk to have “a lot” of influence on the Trump administration. The poll was conducted February 2 to 4 among 1,604 adults. The results have a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.
The survey also suggests Republicans still largely want Musk to play a role in how the country is run, except not as much as previously. The February poll showed 43 percent of Republicans want Musk to have “a little” influence, up from 29 percent in November.
What Dolly Parton Has Said About Politics
During a 2019 episode of Dolly Parton’s America Podcast, the country singer said, “I don’t do politics. I have too many fans on both sides of the fence. Of course, I have my opinion, but I learned years ago to keep my mouth shut about things.”
Parton maintained this sentiment during a 2019 interview with The Guardian, explaining, “I’ve got as many Republican friends as I’ve got Democrat friends, and I just don’t like voicing my opinion on things.”
Parton also explained that her decision not to talk politics has to do with her own sanity. “It’s not like there’s some big mystery, I just know you can’t just … I’m just private, put it that way,” she said.
“Even though I’m public, there’s still a very private side. But that’s what keeps me sane, and I guess it’s what keeps people intrigued – they think they’re going to find out something more. But you’re only going to know as much as I’m going to tell you,” Parton said.
What People Are Saying
Taylor Orth, director of survey data journalism at YouGov, and senior data journalist David Montgomery wrote in their analysis of February’s survey: “Fifty-one percent of Americans believe that Elon Musk has a lot of influence within Trump’s administration, while only 13 percent say they want him to have a lot of influence. Nearly half—46 percent—say they’d prefer for Musk to have no influence in the administration, while only 4 percent say he has none. Most Democrats (78 percent) think Musk has a lot of influence, while only 6 percent want him to; 80 percent want him to have none. Republicans are more divided: The vast majority perceive Musk as having at least a little influence, and slightly fewer prefer for him to have influence (85 percent vs. 69 percent).”
President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House earlier this month: “Elon got access only to letting people go that he thinks are no good if we agree with him, and it’s only if we agree with him. Elon can’t do and won’t do anything without our approval. And we’ll give him the approval where appropriate, and where not appropriate, we won’t. Where we think there’s a conflict, we won’t let him go near it.”
What Happens Next
Cuts to federal government spending are expected to continue and will need to expand substantially if Musk is to reduce expenditures by anything close to $2 trillion annually.
This is likely to spark more conflict with federal employees and their unions, with workers telling Newsweek earlier this month that morale has fallen sharply since Trump returned to the White House.
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