Musk: 'DOGE Became the Whipping Boy'

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) efforts seeking to cut waste, fraud, and abuse from the Biden administration spending levels became the liberal media "whipping boy" instead of the actual waste, fraud, and abuse, Elon Musk lamented.

"What was starting to happen was that, like, it's a bit unfair because, like, DOGE became the whipping boy for everything," Musk told "CBS Sunday Morning" in an interview taped Tuesday and that began with the interviewer attempting to highlight from the start the differences in Musk's position and President Donald Trump's policies on tariffs and foreign student visas.

"So, if there was some cut, real or imagined, everyone would blame DOGE.

"I've had people think that, like, somehow DOGE is gonna stop them from getting their Social Security check, which is completely untrue."

But Musk stressed DOGE's efforts were an attempt to actually deliver on the Republican view that government should spend less and maintain less control and power than what Democrat-led government has foisted on Americans.

"I'm like a proponent of smaller government, not bigger government," Musk told CBS. "So, now if somebody's a proponent of, you know, more government programs and bigger government, and they see, 'Hey, DOGE is cutting all these government programs,' then they'll be fundamentally opposed to that because they just think the government should do more things.

"That's just a fundamental, I guess, ideological opinion."

To explain his point to big-government American Democrats opposed to exactly that, Musk used the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) as an example to explain how government bloat can do less and cause more angst for Americans.

"My frank opinion of the government is that, like, the government is just, like, the DMV that got big, OK?" Musk said. "So, when you say it like, 'Let's have the government do something,' you should think, 'Do you want the DMV to do it?'"

The DMV has been mocked in American culture as being a frustrating place in almost all 50 states, but divisive politics is so anti-Trump that somehow it has made government waste, fraud, and abuse something to be sympathetic to, Musk lamented.

And, Musk, is adamant he can remain fair-minded even if he disagrees with the Trump administration's moves.

"It's not like I agree with everything the administration does," Musk continued. "So it's like, I mean, I agree with much of what the administration does, but we have differences of opinion."

And Musk admitted he has to shut down prior questions in the interview seeking to highlight his differences with Trump's agenda because it was political red meat for liberal media.

"You know, there are things that I don't entirely agree with, but it's difficult for me to bring that up in an interview because then it creates a bone of contention," Musk said. "So then, I'm a little stuck in a bind, where I'm like, well, I don't wanna, you know, speak up against the administration, but I also don't wanna take responsibility for everything this administration's doing."

Case in point, Musk noted: Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act. It was billed as a boon to Trump and Republicans, but it also not only continued former President Joe Biden-era spending levels but actually piled on to them to address Trump areas of importance like immigration, defense, and making 2017 tax cuts permanent.

"I was, like, disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, and not decrease it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing," Musk admitted.

"I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful, but I don't know if it could be both: My personal opinion."

Musk's special government employee contract ran out this week, leaving DOGE behind, albeit with Trump saying Musk is welcome back as an outside adviser.

"DOGE is going to continue, just as a way of life," Musk said. "I'll have some participation in that, but as I've said publicly, my focus has to be on the companies at this point."

Trump expressed his thanks and admiration to Musk at a Friday news conference in the Oval Office.

"Elon's really not leaving," Trump said. "He's going to be back and forth, I think, I have a feeling."