Tech billionaire Elon Musk has admitted that his time leading the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) delivered only partial success — and that he would not take the job again. Speaking on the Katie Miller Podcast, Musk opened up about the agency’s struggles, its unpopularity, and the toll it took on his companies.
Looking back at his federal government role, Musk offered a muted assessment of DOGE’s achievements.
“We were a little bit successful. We were somewhat successful,” he told host Katie Miller, a former DOGE spokeswoman.
The Tesla, SpaceX, and X owner quit the Trump administration in May this year months before DOGE shut down. He said the biggest challenge was the impossibility of rapidly restructuring the federal bureaucracy.
Musk wouldn’t do DOGE again
When Miller pressed him on whether he would take on the government role again, Musk was blunt.
“I don't think so… Instead of doing DOGE, I would have basically… worked on my companies.”
He suggested that the time spent on DOGE set his businesses back and even fueled public frustration.
“They wouldn’t have been burning the cars,” he said wistfully, referring to protests where Tesla vehicles were set on fire by angry consumers.
Defends DOGE but admits its limits
Despite 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 DOGE could save up to $200 billion annually with better automation and coding.
A better year for Musk after leaving Government
Since leaving the administration, Musk’s fortunes have rebounded sharply. Tesla shareholders approved a landmark compensation plan, potentially making him the world’s first trillionaire.
