In an exclusive conversation with Fox’s Larry Kudlow on Monday, billionaire Elon Musk revealed that his role with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a Trump-era initiative designed to slash federal spending, has complicated his efforts to oversee his expansive portfolio of companies, including X, Tesla, xAI, SpaceX, The Boring Company, Neuralink, and Starlink.
During the interview, Kudlow asked: “How are you running your other businesses?” Musk responded, “With great difficulty,” and added,”frankly, I can’t believe I’m here doing this.”
DOGE, which currently employs about 100 staffers, a number that Musk expects to increase to 200, has been criticized alongside Musk for promising more spending cuts than it has delivered across U.S. government agencies. Government contracting experts contend that DOGE’s published record of reductions is flawed, inflating its claims of “savings” by including misleading math related to contract cancellations.
Cybersecurity analysts have raised concerns that DOGE’s operations are endangering the nation’s data and computing infrastructure. Reports indicate that some DOGE staffers, lacking extensive experience with government systems, have accessed agency data through insecure channels and transferred it onto unprotected servers.
While Musk laments that his advisory role at DOGE has overextended his resources, he has also been accused of using the initiative to ease regulations that govern his business ventures. Critics note that DOGE has dismantled the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, an agency that was set to expand oversight of peer-to-peer payment systems, including X’s upcoming virtual wallet product.
Additionally, staffing reductions at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have halted investigations into the risks posed by Tesla’s assisted driving technologies.
Elsewhere, DOGE has dismissed probationary employees at the Federal Aviation Administration, which had planned penalties for safety violations at SpaceX, and has advocated for substantial staff cuts at the Securities and Exchange Commission, with which Musk has a long-standing feud.
When Kudlow asked if he would extend his involvement in DOGE by “another year,” Musk said, “Yeah.” He further remarked, “We’re just getting things done, as opposed to writing a report,” and added,”Like, reports don’t mean anything. You’ve got to actually take action.”
