Elon Musk does not plan to repeat his time leading Doge, the Trump-era government cost-cutting project, which he says was only partly successful and came at a personal cost.
Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, discussed the project in a nearly hour-long interview on The Katie Miller Podcast, released Tuesday. In May, after predicting the effort could save up to 2 trillion dollars a year by cutting federal jobs and eliminating what he saw as wasteful programs, Musk began to distance himself from Doge.
Looking back, Musk said the role affected both his businesses and personal life. When asked if he would do it again, he said he would not and would have focused on running his companies instead. He also wrote that staying out of politics might have helped Tesla avoid the vandalism and bad publicity it faced earlier this year.
Musk’s ties to the Trump administration made him a controversial figure, leading to protests, boycotts, and more attacks on Tesla vehicles and showrooms. Criticism was especially strong about the Cybertruck. In April, Tesla warned investors that politics were hurting demand, as the company reported its lowest sales in three years.
Despite criticism, Musk stood by Doge’s main goal. He said the group opposed unnecessary spending and believed the government should do less. While he admitted the project fell short of its aims, he still called it a partial success.
As of October 4, Doge’s website claims the initiative has saved 214 billion dollars this year. However, these figures have not been independently confirmed, and critics argue the reported savings are exaggerated or offset by disruptions to important government services.
Doge was established by executive order on President Trump’s first day back in the White House. It was not a government agency but a team of experts who moved quickly through federal departments. Musk said the name was crowdsourced online, showing the group’s unusual beginnings.
While Musk led Doge, the group pushed for major layoffs, program cuts, and deep reductions at several agencies, including the US Agency for International Development. Some decisions led to lawsuits and protests, especially from humanitarian groups. The administration sometimes reversed course, like when it rehired bird flu experts at the Department of Agriculture who had been let go during the cost-cutting effort.
Musk’s political ties to Trump also strained their relationship. For several months, Musk donated millions to Trump’s campaign and often visited the White House, but in June, he criticized a spending bill Trump supported. Their disagreement became public when Trump suggested Doge should investigate the government’s business dealings with Musk’s companies.
The rift has softened now. In November, Musk attended a White House dinner with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and in the podcast, he said Trump was funny.
In the case of Musk, the Doge experience has highlighted that government reform is not easy. Change was thwarted or impeded by legal restrictions, political opposition, and bureaucracy. Although he still believes in smaller government, Musk added that the experience demonstrated that high-profile business leadership should not be combined with partisan politics.
Musk said Doge was a learning experience. It cut some spending and changed how people talk about government efficiency, but at a cost he does not want to pay again. Looking back, Musk said he would now choose to stay in the boardroom rather than return to Washington.
