Tech billionaire Elon Musk has admitted that his time leading the Trump administration’s Department for Government Effectiveness (DOGE) was only partially successful – and that he wouldn’t take the job again. In an interview on the Katie Miller Podcast, Musk opened up about the agency’s problems, its unpopularity and the toll it took on his companies.
Looking back on his role in the federal government, Musk offered a subdued assessment of DOGE’s accomplishments.
“We’ve been a little successful. We’ve been a little successful,” he told host Katie Miller, a former DOGE spokeswoman.
The owner of Tesla, SpaceX and X left the administration months before DOGE was officially shut down. He said the biggest challenge was the impossibility of quickly restructuring the federal bureaucracy.
Musk wouldn’t do DOGE anymore
When pressed by Miller about whether he would take on a government role again, Musk was blunt.
“I don’t think so… Instead of doing DOGE, I’d basically… work on my companies.
He suggested that his time at DOGE set his business back and even fueled public frustration.
“They wouldn’t burn cars,” he said wistfully, referring to protests where Tesla vehicles were torched by angry consumers.
He defends DOGE, but admits his limits
Despite his regrets, Musk still defended the controversial agency championed by Donald Trump. He said DOGE helped identify massive inefficiencies, including what he called “zombie payments.”
Musk claimed that DOGE could save up to $200 billion a year with better automation and coding.
A better year for Musk after leaving the government
Since leaving the administration, Musk’s fortunes have rebounded sharply. Tesla shareholders approved a landmark compensation plan that could make him the world’s first billionaire.
