Billionaire Elon Musk said on Tuesday that he will take a step back as the leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The Tesla CEO has been a loyal and ardent friend of President Trump, yet his government-slashing efforts through DOGE have resulted in attacks against Tesla. Musk stated on Tesla’s earnings conference that “my time allocation to DOGE will drop significantly” beginning in May, proclaiming the work “mostly done.”
“I’ll have to continue doing it for I think the remainder of the President’s term just to make sure the waste and fraud that we stopped does not come roaring back, which it will do if it has the chance. I think I’ll continue to spend a day or two per week on government matters for as long as the President would like me to do so and as long as it would be useful,” Musk said, as Axios noted.
Musk also recognized “some blowback” on Tesla as a result of his Trump links, stating that there have been “a few bumps in the road,” but that the company’s future remains bright.
“I encourage people to look beyond the bumps and potholes of the road immediately ahead of us. Lift your gaze to the bright shining citadel on the hill — I don’t know, some Reagan-esque imagery — and that’s where we’re headed,” he added.
Musk also acknowledged “some blowback” on Tesla as a result of his Trump connections, saying that while there have been “a few bumps in the road,” the company’s future remains bright.
He also alleged, without proof, that Tesla protestors are “receiving fraudulent money” from the government: “That is the real reason for the protests,” he stated.
His remarks come as Tesla admitted, for the first time, that the reaction may be harming the company’s finances.
Tesla’s first-quarter sales were $19.3 billion, a 9% decrease from the previous year and lower below S&P Capital IQ’s projections of $21.3 billion.
Tesla also stated that President Trump’s tariffs will affect the firm. Musk said on the results conference that he had personally communicated his views on tariffs to the president.
“I’m an advocate of predictable tariff structures, and generally I’m an advocate for free trade and lower tariffs,” he said.
He said he’s “hopeful” that Trump will “perhaps weigh my advice differently in the future,” but said he respects the president’s right to do what he wants.
Musk announced during a Cabinet meeting earlier this month that the projected savings the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is expected to deliver next year for U.S. taxpayers by reducing government waste.
Speaking in the West Wing’s Cabinet Room before the president’s top officials, Musk stated that DOGE is on track to save $150 billion in fiscal year 2026.
“Thanks to your fantastic leadership, this amazing Cabinet and the very talented DOGE team, I’m excited to announce that we anticipate savings in FY 26 from reduction of waste and fraud by $150 billion,” Musk said, as DailyMail.com reported.
He went on to note that several government programs his DOGE team has discovered are “absurd” and “crazy.”
“Like people getting unemployment insurance who haven’t been born yet,” he said.
Despite the staggering amount projected to be saved next fiscal year, the estimate falls well short of the group’s original target for cutting federal payroll expenses.
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Musk initially aimed to eliminate $2 trillion in waste, fraud, and abuse. He later revised that figure, describing it as a “best-case outcome” and said his realistic goal is closer to $1 trillion—still significantly higher than current projections.
Still, saving the U.S. $150 billion in just a few months is a remarkable achievement—one that every American stands to benefit from through the individual savings it generates.
According to the DOGE website, the initiative has already saved each taxpayer $931.
“People ask me, like, well, how are you going to find waste, fraud and abuse in the federal in the government? I’m like, well, actually, just go in any direction,” Musk told the Cabinet and the president. “That’s how you find it. It’s very common. It’s, as military would say, a target rich environment.”
The SpaceX CEO also praised the efforts of each Cabinet member, crediting them with helping his team uncover savings across every federal agency. He assured the president that the cuts “will actually result in better services for the American people.”