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Elon Musk, former head of the controversial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an unofficial group in the early months of the second Trump administration, said in a new interview that he likely would not repeat his time leading the initiative, calling it only “a little bit successful.”
In a YouTube podcast with Katie Miller, a former aide to President Donald Trump, Musk defended the initiative, saying that it helped eliminate “entirely wasteful” spending.
“We were somewhat successful,” Musk said, claiming that DOGE “stopped a lot of funding that really just made no sense.”
The group, however, drew controversy for repeated missteps, from claiming savings that turned out to be illusory or from already canceled programs, to firing workers and then trying to quickly rehire them when it became clear their positions were essential, such as nuclear safety.
An analysis by the conservative Wall Street Journal Federal in April, at the height of DOGE’s reported cost-cutting, found spending was higher since Trump took office despite the claims of savings, which were touted as being in the billions or even trillions of dollars.
When asked whether he would do it again, Musk replied: “I think instead of doing DOGE, I would’ve basically … worked in my companies, essentially.”
He added, “They wouldn’t have been burning the cars,” referring to arson and vandalism at Tesla car dealerships by members of the public opposed to his efforts.
Controversy and signs of reconciliation
Launched just hours after President Trump’s inauguration, DOGE positioned itself as a rapid and aggressive campaign to reduce federal government spending.
Musk and his team – many young tech workers with no experience in government – shut down what they called unnecessary programs and pushed for large-scale layoffs and buyouts across departments, though under the US Constitution, Congress has the “power of the purse” over spending, not the president.
Some agencies, including the popular US Agency for International Development, were effectively shut down, with critics charging this would have dire consequences for poor people worldwide.
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said eliminating the agency amounted to “the world’s richest man killing the world’s poorest children.”
Musk’s methods drew criticism, including a public event where he wielded a chainsaw, calling it “the chainsaw for bureaucracy.”
Lawsuits challenged several DOGE decisions, and some lawmakers argued the initiative bypassed congressional oversight.
Following Musk’s departure from the White House in late May, tensions rose between him and Trump.
Musk criticized the administration’s tax laws, while Trump threatened to withdraw federal subsidies from his companies Tesla and SpaceX.
Recently, the two appear to have reconciled.
Last month, Musk attended a White House dinner with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Asked whether Musk had returned to his circle, Trump said, “I like Elon a lot,” adding that their dispute stemmed from cuts to electric vehicle subsidies.
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