Elon Musk Taking Step Back From DOGE Amid Leftist Attacks On Tesla

On Tuesday, Elon Musk announced plans to scale back his leadership role in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the federal initiative focused on minimizing government waste. Musk, who also leads Tesla, shared during the company’s quarterly earnings call that his “time allocation to DOGE will drop significantly” starting in May, describing the mission as “mostly done.”

Despite being a staunch supporter of President Trump, Musk’s active involvement in DOGE has drawn criticism and, he claims, negative repercussions for Tesla. “I’ll have to continue doing it for I think the remainder of the President’s term just to make sure the waste and fraud that we stopped does not come roaring back, which it will do if it has the chance,” he said, as noted by Axios. Musk added that he expects to dedicate “a day or two per week on government matters” for the duration of his usefulness to the administration.

He acknowledged there’s been “some blowback” against Tesla due to his association with Trump, admitting there have been “a few bumps in the road.” However, Musk expressed optimism about Tesla’s future. “I encourage people to look beyond the bumps and potholes of the road immediately ahead of us. Lift your gaze to the bright shining citadel on the hill — I don’t know, some Reagan-esque imagery — and that’s where we’re headed,” he said.

Reiterating concerns, Musk claimed, without providing evidence, that anti-Tesla demonstrators were “receiving fraudulent money” from the government. “That is the real reason for the protests,” he asserted.

This comes as Tesla disclosed for the first time that the political backlash might be impacting its financial performance. The company reported first-quarter revenue of $19.3 billion, down 9% from the same quarter last year and below analyst expectations of $21.3 billion, according to S&P Capital IQ.

Additionally, Musk acknowledged that tariffs imposed by the Trump administration are likely to affect Tesla. During the earnings call, he noted that he had spoken to the president directly about the issue. “I’m an advocate of predictable tariff structures, and generally I’m an advocate for free trade and lower tariffs,” Musk said. He added that he’s “hopeful” Trump might “perhaps weigh my advice differently in the future,” though he emphasized that he respects the president’s authority.

Earlier this month, Musk took part in a Cabinet meeting where he shared DOGE’s anticipated fiscal impact. Speaking from the Cabinet Room in the White House, Musk stated that the initiative is projected to save U.S. taxpayers $150 billion in fiscal year 2026 by cutting inefficiencies.

“Thanks to your fantastic leadership, this amazing Cabinet and the very talented DOGE team, I’m excited to announce that we anticipate savings in FY 26 from reduction of waste and fraud by $150 billion,” Musk said, per DailyMail.com.

He also highlighted several examples of what DOGE has identified as wasteful government spending, describing some of the discoveries as “absurd” and “crazy.” One such instance included “people getting unemployment insurance who haven’t been born yet.”

Although the $150 billion figure is notable, it’s far short of Musk’s initial ambition to root out $2 trillion in federal waste, fraud, and abuse. He later clarified that $2 trillion represented a “best-case outcome,” adjusting his more realistic goal to $1 trillion—a figure still much higher than current forecasts.

Nevertheless, the $150 billion savings is a significant milestone. The DOGE website reports that this effort has already saved each taxpayer an estimated $931.

“People ask me, like, well, how are you going to find waste, fraud and abuse in the federal in the government? I’m like, well, actually, just go in any direction,” Musk told the president and his Cabinet. “That’s how you find it. It’s very common. It’s, as military would say, a target rich environment.”

Musk also credited Cabinet members for their cooperation and support, emphasizing that the reforms wouldn’t reduce service quality. In fact, he assured, they “will actually result in better services for the American people.”