While he had promised to revolutionize the American administration, Elon Musk acknowledged that his commission for government efficiency (DOGE), supposed to drastically reduce federal spending, is far from having reached his ambitions.
Appointed at the head of this entity by Donald Trump in January, the boss of Tesla confirmed on Wednesday to American media that the budget cuts made to date represent only a fraction of the initial objectives. “So far, we have reduced $ 160 billion. The goal was 2,000 billion, “he said
“The DOGE experience was not very funny”
The interview, published Thursday in several American newspapers, was carried out after a Council of Ministers in which Elon Musk participated-perhaps for the last time. He concedes that the exercise of power was not easy: “The Doge experience was not very fun. »»
In three months of existence, the Commission abolished several thousand posts of civil servants and carved out in federal subsidies. But to go further, it would have been necessary to tackle pillars of the American budget: pensions, medication, or defense. “It is, in a way, to know how much the administration and the congress are ready to suffer. It’s doable, but you have to manage a lot of complaints, ”said Elon Musk.
Keep an office in the White House
The DOGE initiative, which was initially to last until July 4, 2026, could continue until the end of the presidential mandate. “It will depend on the president,” said Elon Musk, while announcing that he was going to refocus on Tesla, plagued by serious difficulties: drop in sales, vandalism in concessions, and demonstrations in several countries.
Our file on Elon Musk
Despite his partial withdrawal, Elon Musk does not intend to cut the bridges with Washington: he wants to keep an office in the White House for his weekly stays. True to his provocative style, he concluded: “Doge is an art of living, it is like Buddhism. Buddha is no longer alive. But we do not ask ourselves the question of who directs Buddhism. »»
