Elon Musk found himself in a somewhat tense discussion with CNBC anchor David Farber during an interview on Tuesday, where Farber questioned Tesla’s CEO about the leadership and effectiveness of President Trump’s cost-cutting endeavors.
The nearly 30-minute segment on CNBC’s “Power Lunch” mostly revolved around Tesla’s mask policies and the future of self-driving technology. However, it grew increasingly uneasy towards the end as Farber brought up the backlash surrounding Musk’s role in what some termed the government’s efficiency initiative.
Musk responded to a series of inquiries regarding how much federal spending Doge has actually managed to trim. “We’re not advisors, we’re not kings here,” he stated.
“I understand,” Farber quickly retorted, “But why are you attacking this?”
“Not me,” Musk replied, “I’m just responding to your questions.”
The dialogue took a turn when Farber reminded Musk that he had come into his position with the goal of cutting a trillion dollars from federal expenditures.
“You’re not really making a dent. Perhaps you thought you could tackle that from a real-world angle. Do you agree?” Farber pressed.
“Well, it was, um, clearly unrealistic to think you could accomplish that right from day one. It’s only been four months,” Musk countered.
Following significant layoffs and spending reductions in various federal programs, Musk asserted that Doge has saved close to $160 billion so far.
“That’s your figure, and many people have raised concerns about it,” Farber interjected, mentioning that he had consulted Grok, Musk’s AI chatbot.
Musk elaborated on how the Doge team arrived at that figure. He discussed possibilities for further efficiency, as Faber asked, “Is there a more effective route to take?”
“Are you suggesting we alter the retirement age or seriously reconsider other budget areas?” Farber inquired.
“We’re striving to optimize every facet of our budget… some elements are, um, less exciting than others,” Musk replied, highlighting the significance of his claims.
“From our perspective, we created a $160 billion Delta in five months, which is quite crucial. That’s 16% of a trillion,” Musk claimed. “To make further advancements, we obviously need the cooperation of the legislative and judicial branches, not just the executive.”
Not long after, Musk accused Farber of being confrontational, prompting Farber to pivot back to questions about Tesla.
“There will be a call at 1:30 [CST]. I’m not sure if you can return,” Farber mentioned.
Around 90 minutes later, Musk appeared again on CNBC’s “Closing Bell.” Farber reintroduced discussions around the mask issue, and conversations transitioned towards Tesla’s self-driving ambitions and reasons for not considering a purchase of the ride-sharing service, Uber.
This exchange allows Musk to focus more on Tesla, which might be necessary since commitments to Doge could be taking time away from his primary business. Earlier that day, Musk had expressed intentions to remain Tesla’s CEO for five more years after attending the Qatar Economic Forum. Despite a report claiming the board was searching for a new CEO to replace him, Tesla’s board president, Robindenholm, denied those allegations.
