Elon Musk conceded on Tuesday that the chainsaw-waving theatrics he used to promote the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) may have “lacked empathy” toward Americans worried about what spending cuts could mean for them.
The X and Telsa CEO’s climb-down followed a post in which he argued that hitting the debt ceiling is “the only thing that will actually force the government to cut waste and fraud.” When X user Jim Spradlin replied that Musk “acted a fool” with the chainsaw and should focus on substance, the Tesla CEO agreed.
“Valid point. Milei gave me the chainsaw backstage and I ran with it, but, in retrospect, it lacked empathy,” Musk wrote, referring to Argentine President Javier Milei, who handed him the prop before his February appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
The chainsaw had become an unofficial symbol for DOGE, the task force charged with rooting out federal waste. At CPAC, Musk swung the blade overhead while pledging to carve billions from the budget.
Created by executive order in January, DOGE claims to have saved an estimated $190 billion. House Oversight Republicans, citing internal briefings, put the running tally closer to $180 billion and are pushing legislation to lock in the cuts before future sessions of Congress can reverse them.
That record will be central when lawmakers return in September to tackle the debt limit. The Congressional Research Service estimates the Treasury’s “extraordinary measures” could keep the government solvent only until sometime between mid-August and late September.
Musk’s posts follow a flare-up of tensions between him and President Donald Trump after the former DOGE chief issued a scathing warning to Republicans who backed the “big, beautiful bill.” Trump, in return, issued a threat of his own to Musk, considering potential deportation of the billionaire.
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