Elon Musk admitted that his cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has not lived up to his initial promises to slash federal spending by $2 trillion.
“In the grand scheme of things, I think we’ve been effective. Not as effective as I’d like. I think we could be more effective. But we’ve made progress,” Musk told reporters at the White House on Wednesday.
Newsweek contacted Musk for further comment via email to the Tesla press office on Friday.
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump‘s DOGE has been one of the most radical initiatives to restructure the federal government in decades, aiming to slash waste, cut spending and reduce bureaucracy. However, the department has faced fierce criticism and legal actions and has not managed to achieve the lofty cost-cutting goals that Musk initially touted.
What To Know
Trump’s billionaire ally initially projected that DOGE would cut $2 trillion in federal spending, a figure he later revised down to $1 trillion.
In his interview with reporters on Wednesday, Musk claimed that DOGE so far has saved an estimated $160 billion in federal spending, which included eliminating about 1 percent of the federal workforce, or 20,000 jobs.
He said he believed it was still “possible” to reach the $1 trillion goal, but that the department needed more cooperation from lawmakers across the government.
“There’s an intense set of interests in the vast federal bureaucracy that wants to keep things as they were before,” Musk said. “In order to change that, it’s like changing the direction of a fleet of supertankers.”
Despite DOGE’s work facing criticism and lawsuits, Musk has continued to defend its mission. He has said he plans to reduce the time he spends on DOGE and dedicate more energy to his companies, as Tesla’s profits have plunged more than 70 percent since the start of the year.
When asked how the department would carry on without him, Musk said: “Is Buddha needed for Buddhism? Was it not stronger after he passed away?”
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump told TIME in April: “DOGE has been a very big success. We found hundreds of billions of dollars of waste, fraud, and abuse.”
What Happens Next
DOGE was initially scheduled to conclude its work by July 4, 2026, but Musk suggested that it could continue its work for the rest of the second Trump administration. It remains to be seen how Musk stepping back will impact the department.
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