Tesla CEO Elon Musk has indicated his intentions to continue collaborating with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) throughout President Donald Trump’s second term, despite requests for him to distance himself from political matters.
Musk announced plans to scale back his involvement with DOGE to “a day or two” per week starting next month. He stated this commitment would persist “as long as the President would like me to do so, and as long as it is useful.”
These remarks were made during Tesla’s quarterly earnings call, occurring shortly after the company disclosed in a shareholder letter that “political sentiment” is negatively impacting its sales. In light of various elements, including heightened competition and tariff issues associated with Trump’s policies, Musk’s association with the Trump administration contributed to a 71% decline in profits compared to the first quarter of the previous year.
Musk’s statement came shortly after a prominent Wall Street supporter of Tesla expressed concerns that the company faces a “code red” scenario if Musk does not curtail his government activities.
His work with DOGE, aimed at restructuring government agencies, has sparked global protests against both him and Tesla, with Musk commenting that some agencies have been ‘fed into the wood chipper.’
During Tuesday’s call, Musk attributed these protests to being financially motivated, alleging that participants were either paid protestors or beneficiaries of inefficiency, albeit without presenting any evidence to support these claims.
Musk declared the “major work of establishing” DOGE complete, suggesting this development would enable him to reduce his participation. Officially designated as a “special government employee,” his role is supposed to be confined to 130 days within any given year. The White House has not yet provided a comment on the matter.
