Tesla co-founder Elon Musk is beginning his exit from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) as his time as a special government employee comes to a close.
His tenure as the public face of DOGE has been marked by historic cuts and widespread outrage, but the tech titan does not regret his time with the Trump administration.
Although once praised by the media and championed by the left, Musk’s decision to become a force in the public sphere has not been without backlash. From his purchase of Twitter, now X, to coming out in support of then-candidate Donald Trump, Musk’s year has been anything but “boring.”
Fox News host Lara Trump asked Musk if he had any “regret” over his work at DOGE or his support of Trump, to which the SpaceX founder replied, “No.”
“I think it was essential for President Trump to win to ensure that America remained great, and that we reach greater heights,” Musk said in an interview that aired Saturday on “My View with Lara Trump.”
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In the run-up to the November 2024 election, Musk became a staunch supporter of Trump despite having been a former Obama donor, citing concerns over former President Joe Biden’s “most radical-left, crazy administration ever.”
“Whoever controlled the auto pen and telepromptor during the Biden administration was the real president,” he said.
Musk also told Lara Trump that he believed “if President Trump had not won, I think the Democrat campaign to import vast numbers of illegal voters would have succeeded,” adding that America would have risked becoming a “one-party state from which we could never escape.”
“Some people out there may be somewhat skeptical. They may think, ‘Well, there isn’t some Democrat plan to subvert democracy and achieve a permanent one-party, deep blue socialist state.’ I assure you, the more you research it, the more that you will see it is true.”
With Trump winning in November, Musk was put to work on day one of the new administration, but his cost-cutting efforts have sparked nationwide opposition.
“It’s not been boring, that’s for sure — an eventful year to say the least. At least I didn’t get shot, you know. Look on the bright side,” Musk said.
“But we have had people shoot up Tesla stores and burn down Tesla cars. I wasn’t expecting that level of violence, really,” he continued.
ELON MUSK LOOKS BACK ON 100 DAYS OF DOGE, PREVIEWS FUTURE OF THE ‘LONG-TERM ENTERPRISE’
Musk even conceded the bad actors targeting him and his companies are “somewhat inevitable.”
Part of the backlash has been a “relentless propaganda campaign” from opponents of the Trump administration, attempting to “destroy [his] public perception” and “doing character assassination.”
Musk concluded the outrage shows DOGE’s work is “effective.”
As President Donald Trump marked his 100th day in office on Tuesday, DOGE said it has cut at least $160 billion in waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government.
With no plans of slowing down, DOGE has made a number of consequential and controversial cuts in recent months, including cuts to hundreds of millions in DEI contracts and efforts to slash federal spending by trimming the federal workforce.
While DOGE made historic moves in the Trump administration’s first 100 days, Musk revealed what he most wants his legacy to be.
“That I was useful in the furtherance of civilization,” he told Lara Trump. “That I helped move civilization forward, added to the store of knowledge and capability — that I helped understand the universe.”
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