On Friday, President Donald Trump praised Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla, as Musk concluded his brief, yet tumultuous, stint at the helm of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk’s tenure, which lasted four months, has drawn both attention and controversy.
Trump took to Truth Social the day before to express his support, stating, “This will be his last day, but not really, because he will always be with us, helping all the way,” while also highlighting, “Elon is terrific!”
Despite his close alliance with Trump, Musk shared on CBS’s “Sunday Morning” that he has reservations about some of the administration’s policies. “I’m a little stuck in a bind,” he remarked, indicating his reluctance to openly criticize the government while not wanting to bear the brunt of its decisions.
During his brief time in office, DOGE implemented significant cuts that eliminated tens of thousands of federal jobs. Musk defended his work in government but acknowledged in the CBS interview that “DOGE became the whipping boy for everything,” noting that the department often faced blame for various cuts, whether justified or not.
The entrepreneur also expressed concern regarding a multitrillion-dollar tax and spending proposal currently under discussion in Congress, stating that it threatens to increase the national debt. “I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly,” he commented, adding that it undermines the efforts of the DOGE team.
Notwithstanding Musk’s apprehensions, officials in the Trump administration remain committed to pursuing the initiatives set forth by DOGE. Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, recently indicated to CNN that the administration plans to collaborate with Congress while using “executive tools” to advance DOGE’s proposed cuts.
When questioned about congressional members who argue that DOGE may have exceeded its mandate in restructuring the government, Vought replied, “I don’t doubt that Congress is going to make accusations. Some of them come by their own watchdogs, but those watchdogs have been historically wrong. And that’s not going to stop us from moving forward to bank the DOGE cuts.”
Though Musk had previously estimated that DOGE could produce savings in the trillions, its actual impact appears to fall significantly short of those projections, according to the department’s own data, which has faced scrutiny.
The public perception of Musk may have suffered during his time in government, with Tesla’s properties becoming targets for acts of vandalism in the wake of his political involvement.
— Finance Newso’s Dan Mangan contributed to this report.
