Elon Musk revealed this week that if he had the chance to do it over, he would not join DOGE — the Department of Government Efficiency — under President Donald Trump, despite strongly supporting Trump during the 2024 election and initially embracing the mission to cut wasteful federal spending.
Musk spoke candidly on former Trump official Katie Miller’s podcast, where he reflected on his months-long involvement with the administration. DOGE, created to target bloated government spending and eliminate waste, was one of the Trump administration’s signature efficiency initiatives. Musk played a central role, helping identify areas where taxpayer dollars were being squandered.
Musk ultimately left the White House effort in May after months of public controversy, including protests where activists burned and vandalized Tesla vehicles. His alliance with Trump also grew strained, with the two men taking public shots at each other despite Musk’s early support for the president’s economic reforms.
Still, Musk said DOGE made progress. “We were a little bit successful. We were somewhat successful,” he told Miller. “I mean, we stopped a lot of funding for that really just made no sense, that was just entirely wasteful.”
But when pressed on whether he would do it again, Musk made clear he would not. Miller asked him directly if he would return to DOGE either in hindsight — starting again on January 20 — or in the future, knowing what he knows now.
Musk’s answer: no.
“I mean, the thing is, I think instead of doing DOGE, I would have basically built, you know, worked on my companies essentially,” he said. He noted that engaging in government reform brought heavy backlash, including the vandalism of Tesla cars. “The cars would…wouldn’t have been burning,” he added pointedly.
Miller reminded him that he “gave up a lot” by joining DOGE. Musk agreed, explaining that taking on entrenched political interests inevitably leads to retaliation. “Yeah. If you stop money going to political corruption, they will lash out, big time,” he said. “They really want the money to keep flowing.”
Musk’s comments highlight the broader challenge Trump faced — and still faces — in attempting to rein in government waste. DOGE was one of several initiatives aimed at changing how Washington operates, but as Musk made clear, those benefiting from the system pushed back hard.
For conservatives, Musk’s reflections underscore the hostility faced by anyone who tries to disrupt the D.C. status quo. Musk’s willingness to confront waste endeared him to many on the right, even as the left mobilized protests against him and attempted to damage his businesses.
But ultimately, Musk says the personal cost wasn’t worth it. If given the choice again, he would stick to running his companies — and leave the political fights to others.
His remarks serve as a reminder of both the promise and the political peril of attempting to reform a federal bureaucracy resistant to change.
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