Elon Musk Says He Will Step Back From DOGE

Elon Musk announced Tuesday that he plans to significantly scale back his role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Speaking during Tesla’s earnings call, Musk said his involvement with DOGE would drop “significantly” beginning in May, calling the bulk of the reform effort “mostly done,” Axios reported. Musk said, however, that he will remain loosely involved through the remainder of President Donald Trump’s term to ensure the cuts stick.

“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,” Musk said, according to Axios. “I think I’ll continue to spend a day or two per week on government matters for as long as the president would like me to do so and as long as it would be useful.”

Musk’s dual role as Tesla CEO and federal efficiency czar has drawn increasing scrutiny, with some investors voicing concern that his political entanglements are hurting the brand. On the call, Musk said that Tesla had taken “a few bumps in the road” due to his alliance with Trump, but added the company remains on track.

“I encourage people to look beyond the bumps and potholes of the road immediately ahead of us,” Musk said. “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.”

Protests targeting Musk and Tesla escalated in March, with some charging stations vandalized and set ablaze. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said that three suspects will be prosecuted for using Molotov cocktails to destroy Tesla property, adding they will “face the full force of the law.”