In the latest interview, Musk stated that if he could do it all over again, he would not found the Government Efficiency Department (DOGE) because the cost of reform was too high, it caused strong backlash, and further affected the operations of his own company (Tesla), once again proving that the rigidity and resistance of the government system are far deeper than imagined.
DOGE was originally just a joke, but never expected it to reach the White House.
At the beginning of the interview, the host took Musk back to the footage from the day he was sworn in, when he was handed a computer and a phone, and began to address the so-called government efficiency reform.
Musk stated that the original name of DOGE was actually called the Government Efficiency Commission, but someone suggested in an online comment:
It should be called the Department of Government Efficiency, and the abbreviation just happens to be DOGE.
He found it amusing and catchy after seeing it, so he adopted it directly. This name has transformed from a small internet joke into an official department of the White House, which he himself finds incredible.
Preventing hundreds of billions of dollars in invalid expenditures, DOGE has had some success.
When the host asked him if DOGE was successful, Musk stated that DOGE had some success, and the results were not insignificant. He pointed out that the U.S. government has a significant amount of payments that should not be made each year, which belong to invalid expenditures without payment codes, purposes, or explanations, with amounts possibly reaching $100 billion to $200 billion.
He stated that what DOGE does is require the most basic rules to be added to the main system of the Ministry of Finance and other government payment systems.
To apply for funds or expenditures, a code and reason must be attached. Such a simple restriction can block many unreasonable payments.
Musk explained that there are two to three percent in government payments that should not exist at all, but continued to be spent before the reform. He said it is not easy to stop these improper payments because not many people will proactively tell the government, "Don't send me money anymore," so the work of DOGE seems simple at first glance, but is actually very difficult.
After the reform came a strong backlash, and the cost was greater than imagined.
When discussing the pressure during the promotion of DOGE, Musk's tone noticeably became heavy. He candidly stated that as long as funds originally flowing toward political corruption are stopped, there will be strong backlash.
He even said, "These people" really hope that this money continues to flow to them, so when DOGE stops improper payments, the backlash is very intense. He also hinted that these reactions are not just political but also affect the operations of Tesla and other companies he owns. He stated:
If DOGE had not been created, some electric vehicles might not have been burned.
It shows that the cost of DOGE is far greater than the outside world understands.
(Tesla arson explosion case continues! The U.S. FBI and ATF are working together to investigate, possibly related to Musk's political stance)
If he could do it all over again, he would not establish DOGE.
The host asked Musk:
If he could return to 1/20, would he establish DOGE again? And after understanding all the consequences, would he be willing to undertake the same reform again?
Musk clearly answered, "No." He said if he could go back in time, he would invest his time and energy in his own company instead of DOGE, nor would he allow himself to bear those additional attacks. His tone was calm, but he frankly stated that DOGE made him pay too many costs that he originally did not need to bear.
(Musk officially leaves the DOGE government efficiency department! Since taking office, he has saved the U.S. $150 billion, and the next step is to return to Tesla)
He had no illusions about government efficiency reform, and it cannot be changed in the short term.
The host asked him if, after going through these events, he felt hopeless about government reform. Musk stated that he never had high hopes. He does not expect the government to be a highly efficient machine; rather, he believes that the government should do as little as possible.
He emphasized that the essence of DOGE is merely to handle wasteful unnecessary expenditures, rather than to increase new projects or strengthen interventions. This reform has made him more certain that the inertia and resistance within the government system are deeply structural problems, not something that can be changed in the short term.
(Musk's DOGE meeting reveals explosive news! Baby loans, U.S. subsidies to the Taliban, and hidden guns and peace organizations)
This article Musk: The cost of founding DOGE is too high, Tesla and many companies are all affected first appeared in Chain News ABMedia.
