Elon Musk Now Says He Went Too Far Into Politics, No Regret About DOGE Stint

India-West News Desk

NEW YORK, NY – Elon Musk says he became more involved in politics than he intended during his time leading President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), offering a rare note of reflection while continuing to defend the agency’s work.

“I think I got a little too involved in politics. I got carried away, frankly,” Musk said in an interview with The Economist published July 23.

Although he acknowledged becoming deeply immersed in politics, Musk stopped short of expressing regret over the policies pursued under DOGE. Instead, he defended the agency’s efforts to cut federal spending, saying its objective was to reduce waste, fraud and unnecessary government spending.

Musk also rejected criticism over the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), maintaining that the cuts did not lead to deaths overseas. A study published in The Lancet estimated that USAID-supported programs saved millions of lives over the last two decades.

Created by executive order on Trump’s first day back in office, DOGE was tasked with identifying waste, fraud and abuse across the federal government. The initiative ended on July 4 after about 18 months, during which it faced a series of lawsuits challenging its authority and actions.

The agency decimated the federal workforce, with more than 272,000 employees leaving government service, including nearly 140,000 through a deferred resignation program. It also cut funding for research, arts and other government-backed programs while reducing the size of several federal agencies.

Before taking on the DOGE role, Musk spent millions of dollars supporting Trump’s presidential campaign. Since leaving the administration, has defended several far-right political parties in Europe.