Elon Musk's Mixed Feelings About DOGE: A Look Back

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, recently shared his thoughts on his time leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). He described the experience as "somewhat successful" but admitted he wouldn't take on the role again. This revelation came during a podcast interview with Katie Miller, a former official in the Trump administration. Musk's involvement with DOGE began when he was appointed to head the team tasked with reducing the federal government's budget and workforce. This was during the first five months of Donald Trump's second term. However, Musk's political activities and public statements caused a stir, leading to backlash against both him and Tesla. There were even reports of Tesla cars being vandalized. During the podcast, Musk reflected on his decision to join DOGE. He mentioned that focusing on his own companies might have been a better choice, as it would have prevented the negative attention and incidents of vandalism. Despite the backlash, Musk acknowledged that DOGE did achieve some success. He claimed that the team managed to cut funding for what he described as "entirely wasteful" projects. When asked if he would lead DOGE again, Musk's response was clear: "No, I don't think so. " His involvement in DOGE also raised concerns among investors, who worried that he was not giving Tesla the attention it needed, especially during a period of slowing sales. The fallout between Musk and Trump became public around midyear, following a dispute over a tax and spending bill. However, there have been recent signs of a reconciliation between the two. DOGE was disbanded earlier than expected, with eight months left in its mandate. The Office of Personnel Management Director, Scott Kupor, confirmed this to Reuters. DOGE claimed to have cut tens of billions of dollars in expenditures. However, financial experts found it difficult to verify these claims due to the lack of detailed public accounting from the unit.