Musk Reflects on Time with DOGE

In a recent podcast, billionaire Elon Musk shared his thoughts about his experience leading the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), indicating that he has no desire to go through it again.

Six months after leaving his position at DOGE, Musk discussed the experience in an almost hour-long conversation with former Trump aide Katie Miller. When asked if he believed DOGE was successful, he described it as a “slight success,” offering mild praise while also noting it curtailed funding that he felt was unnecessary and “completely wasted.”

However, on the question of whether he would consider taking on a similar role again, Musk hesitated before saying, “Instead of doing DOGE, I think I would have been basically… essentially working for my own company.” He mentioned that “they wouldn’t have burned the cars,” alluding to a series of attacks on Tesla dealerships.

DOGE, inspired by an internet meme, was established shortly after President Trump assumed office. Musk, who notably contributed hundreds of millions to support Trump’s campaign, became a significant presence in the administration. Under his guidance, DOGE’s youthful team aggressively identified programs seen as wasteful and pushed for substantial workforce reductions through layoffs and voluntary buyouts. In some scenarios, entire agencies, like the U.S. Agency for International Development, were effectively dismantled.

Musk has claimed his initiatives at DOGE could save the government hundreds of billions, perhaps even reaching $2 trillion, though only a small portion of these savings materialized while he was in office. This eventually led to a conflict with Trump, who remarked that Musk had “lost his mind.”

Additionally, Musk touched on his views about God during the podcast discussion.