Elon Musk reveals he wouldn’t do DOGE again — doubts that effort to chainsaw government was successful
Elon Musk told the host of “The Katie Miller Podcast” that he’s not convinced his attempt to strip government waste under the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, actually delivered the results he hoped for. When asked whether the agency hit its targets, the Tesla founder answered, “We’re a little bit successful. We’re somewhat successful.” But he added that the real problem was how entrenched the waste had become, noting that there were probably “$100, maybe $200 billion” in annual zombie payments and that DOGE only managed to get rid of a slice of that pile.
He warned that cutting off even a fraction of that money would provoke a backlash: “If you stop money going to political corruption, they will lash out big time. They really want the money to keep flowing.” When the interviewer pressed him on whether he would launch DOGE again, Musk stalled before replying, “I mean, no, I don’t think so.” He went on to say, “I think instead of doing DOGE, I would have basically … worked on my companies, essentially.”
Musk also reflected on the political storm that followed his move into Washington, noting that earlier in the year, “AI nightmares” had been waking him up for many days, and that he was living on just six hours of sleep. When asked what was keeping him awake, he deadpanned, “Why do I wake up in nightmares? Oh, AI. Yeah.” He insisted he has no “irrational fears,” adding, “If I find an irrational fear, I … squelch it. Fear is the mind killer.”
He made it clear that he avoids public events where crowds gather, citing “serious security issues” that came after high‑profile incidents. “Life is on a hardcore mode,” he said. “You make one mistake, and you’re dead.”
Despite the heavy political chatter, Musk returned to the central question with a tentative finality. “I don’t think so,” he mused, “Knowing what I know now.”
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