Elon Musk says DOGE 'somewhat successful' but would not do it again

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: USA Today

Dec. 9, 2025, 957 p.m. ET


Tech billionaire Elon Musk said in a podcast interview on Dec. 9 that the Department of Government Efficiency was "somewhat successful," but he would not return to the initiative again.

Speaking on "The Katie Miller Podcast," the SpaceX and Tesla CEO said the Department of Government Efficiency — known as DOGE — had only been a "little bit successful" in its goal to save taxpayers' money and reduce spending and regulations. The controversial initiative, a brainchild of Musk, laid off thousands of government workers but failed to deliver on its promises to cut the federal budget.

"We were somewhat successful," Musk told Katie Miller, who worked as an advisor and spokesperson for DOGE earlier this year and is married to Stephen Miller, the White House's deputy chief of staff. "We stopped a lot of funding that really just made no sense, that was just entirely wasteful," Musk added. "For example, there was probably $100, maybe $200 billion worth of zombie payments per year, which simply by enforcing that there be a payment code and an explanation for the payment, the payment would not go out."

When asked if he would do DOGE again, Musk said he doesn't think so and believes he could have focused on his other ventures and "they wouldn't have been burning the cars." In a backlash against Musk and his DOGE efforts earlier this year, Tesla dealerships and individual vehicles were vandalized, and dozens of protests erupted across the country.

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/12/09/elon-musk-doge-katie-miller-podcast/87693572007/

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It worked as planned. He single-handedly destroyed the functions, infrastructure and personnel, of every federal agency in the United States.

[Bengus81]

1. Those are such calming words to the tens thousands that lost their job without cause

because of YOU asshat. BS words to try and make people buy a Tesla again?

FUCK you Eloon.

[Whyisthisstillclose]

2. Must be nice to always assume you are the smartest person in every room.

Of course, you become a supercilious ass, but what the hell? In your own head you rock!

[C_U_L8R]

3. It was a dumb stunt that hurt a lot of people.

[William Seger]

4. It was a gross failure caused by gross stupidity

... and a narrow-minded, short-sighted, self-centered, mean-spirited, and callous ideology. We have NEVER had an administration that was so destructive, and it will take a long to recover.

[imaginary girl]

5. How much of our data did he walk away with?

[eppur_se_muova]

6. Deport him anyway. Don't give him the chance. nt

[FuzzyDicePHL]

7. Why would he do it again?

He already stole all the data he was after.

[mathematic]

8. DOGE and Musk were always the instrument of Vought's Project 2025 goals. A red herring.

Vought was making policy at the end of the first trump admin, in 2020 to purge the federal workforce. It was always the plan. They managed to get Musk interested in the idea and let him loose on the government as a way to sell the idea to more people and as a way to keep an illusory arm's length distance away from any fallout. Both points appear to have worked.

Congrats to Russ Vought, Director of the OMB (the actual agency in charge of all this stuff, not DOGE), for successfully shifting the blame for the fallout of his policies.

[Bayard]

9. Somewhat successful,

Meaning, he ruined thousands of lives successfully, while robbing the security of the entire population. I hope the next administration investigates and prosecutes him to the ends of the earth. He also stuck us with trump.

[IronLionZion]

10. He stole all the data he wanted, fired a lot of qualified workers doing important work

weakened American institutions and programs. Very Putinesque.

Super Genius

[travelingthrulife]

11. Ohh...thanks a lot dude. We will be paying for your colossal mistakes for decades.

Deport him and seize his assets to help pay for the damage he has done. He and his pal Thiel.

[purr-rat beauty]

12. He's a POS

May Karma leave him in a k hole for eternity

[Chemical Bill]

13. Plus he set up more government contracts for himself.

He has Social Security communicating using X. All sorts of phones will be answered by his AI, so we don't need all those pesky staffers. ( )

Plus, all of the regulatory investigations of his businesses? Gone! Poof!

He counts the votes....

Why would he need to come back?