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2d ago

Giant Elon Musk Bust Appears in Arches National Park to Protest Service Cuts

Advocates used the oversized head and its slogans to draw attention to deep budget and staffing cuts in the National Park Service.

The Parade of Elephants and the back of Double Arch, which is framed by Cove Arch, in Arches National Park in Utah.
A visitor to Arches National Park near Moab, Utah, photographs the park's best known attraction, Delicate Arch.
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Overview

  • A 10- to 12-foot bust of Elon Musk was driven through Arches National Park over the weekend as a form of protest art.
  • The installation’s sign read “MAKE AMERICA WAIT AGAIN” and “Now With Longer Lines Thanks to DOGE Cuts!” targeting cuts driven by the White House DOGE office.
  • Park officials confirm that timed-entry reservation systems remain in place and that entry wait times have not increased compared to previous years.
  • Since January, the National Park Service has lost about 24% of its permanent staff and the recent “Big Beautiful Bill” cut $267 million from park budgets.
  • Lawmakers on a House subcommittee are now debating an additional $176 million funding cut even as advocacy groups employ stunts to spotlight park underfunding.