As you know, Musk is no longer the head of DOGE, having officially completed his 130-day mission – so what opinions about Elon Musk stepping down from DOGE – accusing the system of undermining reform, overall criticism, and ambiguity surrounding his departure?
More on Elon Musk’s Experience as Head of DOGE
Formally, Elon Musk first expressed gratitude for the “opportunity to reduce wasteful spending” and emphasized that his departure should not stop the mission he defined, stating that the DOGE “mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”
However, there is some ambiguity surrounding his departure, at least because certain government initiatives, in his view, do not actually help DOGE fulfill its function. In particular, on CBS Sunday Morning, he said:
“I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing.”
This was commented on by Walter Isaacson, author of the biography Elon Musk, who noted that Musk’s “criticism wasn’t personal but aimed at the broader system.”
“He is frustrated that even the Republicans in the House and the Senate have been captured by Washington interests.”
Isaacson also addressed claims about how beneficial Musk’s position in government was for his businesses:
“Whether it’s him taking over Twitter or dealing with Tesla’s crisis or SpaceX, you see that all-in intensity. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t. But he’s all-in.”
Moreover, The Guardian noted that the position may have even harmed his business, as Musk entered the administration seen as a “tech genius” and “titan of the age,” but was left with a damaged reputation, particularly in the eyes of investors and the general public.
Conclusion
Can Elon Musk’s initiative to review and reduce government institutional budgets be called necessary? Arguably yes. According to many, certain expenses did not align with national interests, and taxpayers had a right to express frustration over this.
But was it unequivocal and successful? Unfortunately not. Whether the targeted budget reduction was achieved remains debatable, and the negative consequences – at least for Elon Musk himself – are quite evident.
