For Donald Trump, a lot is riding on controversial Tesla billionaire Elon Musk, who looms as a potential major vulnerability if he meddles too much with third rail issues like Social Security and Medicaid.

Democrats are even starting to realize that Musk – a constant Trump sidekick whose SpaceX is now tasked with the dangerous assignment of bringing back U.S. astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore from space – could be a weak link that takes down Trump’s presidency.

“Yes, we’re bringing them back in a few weeks,” Musk bragged this week about the mission that was scheduled Wednesday and then scrubbed. “We’re going to get them back.”

Musk has been in charge of retrieving the astronauts, who were left behind on the International Space Station after malfunctions with the Boeing Starliner capsule. The retrieval has become a political hot topic because Musk and Trump have accused the Biden administration of deliberately leaving the astronauts behind.

So if Musk succeeds in getting the astronauts he’s a hero, but if the mission fails he’ll be the one taking the flak along with President Trump.

Democrats have failed to take down Trump so now are targeting the unpredictable Musk and DOGE as the villain of the new Republican administration.

Trump has so far stuck by Musk, but he’s playing a dangerous game.

With fears of tariffs bringing about a potential recession and the stock market tanking, Trump can ill afford another setback with voters.

The biggest fear for Trump is that Musk tries to dismantle Social Security and Medicaid – sending baby boomer voters into a full-fledged panic. The threat of severe cutbacks amid those entitlements, long considered a third rail in U.S. politics, has angered some Trump allies.

Musk has already triggered internal dissension in the White House, with figures like Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly clashing bitterly with him at a Cabinet meeting over layoffs and government cutbacks at the State Department.

Other Cabinet members also reportedly have bristled at Musk’s power.

Trump had to rein in Musk in that case, siding with Rubio and bringing the two men together to keep the peace.

“Elon and Marco have a great relationship,” Trump posted on Truth Social last weekend. “Any statement other than that is fake news!!!”

DOGE works “in consultation with the Cabinet secretaries and with the departments,” Musk said in an interview with Fox Business Network.

The comment was seen as an olive branch put out by Musk to those questioning whether he was going too far in cutting government agencies.

But it’s clear that Trump is giving Musk a lot of leeway to run DOGE even though officially he’s not in control.

Trump seems to enjoy seeing Musk keeping people on their toes.

But he is taking pains to avoid the type of internal squabbles that plagued his first administration.

“I don’t think the tensions are high,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One. “Look, Elon’s a very special person, and these Cabinet people are special people. You know, these are very successful people. That doesn’t mean they don’t have a little bit of an argument here and there about something.”