In the lead-up to a SpaceX Starship test launch, Elon Musk offered a candid critique of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), labeling it a "whipping boy" for the inefficiencies plaguing Washington.
Musk, who has been a chief advisor to DOGE, confessed to The Washington Post that he had underestimated the complexities of "the federal bureaucracy situation," describing it as "much worse than I realized." As he distances himself from the political arena, Musk portrayed DOGE as an easy target for blame amid governmental dysfunction.
According to the Daily Caller, Musk lamented, "DOGE is just becoming a whipping boy for everything. So, like, something bad would happen anywhere, and we would get blamed for it even if we had nothing to do with it."
This sentiment comes as Musk's involvement in Washington has sparked significant public backlash, impacting his business ventures. Tesla, in particular, has faced acts of vandalism at its showrooms nationwide, with Musk expressing his dismay over the situation, stating, "Why would you do that? Thats really uncool." Despite these challenges, Tesla's stock has shown signs of recovery as Musk shifts his focus back to his enterprises.
Musk's remarks also align with his public disapproval of President Donald Trump's legislative initiatives. In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, Musk voiced his dissatisfaction with the president's "big, beautiful bill," a substantial tax and spending package recently passed by the House.
"I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing," Musk commented.
The Congressional Budget Office projects that this legislation will add $3.1 trillion to the national debt over the next decade. Musk further opined, "I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful, but I dont know if it can be both. My personal opinion."
Despite stepping back from his advisory role, Musk emphasized that DOGE's mission remains unfinished, particularly in terms of modernizing the federal government's outdated computer systems.
He highlighted the inefficiencies, noting, "Theres, like, so many situations where the computers are so broken," and described scenarios where transferring data between computers requires printing it out and retyping it. "And this is just literally a thing that was brought to my attention," he added.
The SpaceX Starship test flight on Tuesday, which Musk attended at the Texas facility, yielded mixed outcomes. While the rocket successfully launched without exploding, it lost control in space and failed to return intact. Musk shared his thoughts on the test via X, stating, "Starship made it to the scheduled ship engine cutoff, so big improvement over the last flight! Also, no significant loss of heat shield tiles during ascent."
This reflects Musk's continued commitment to advancing his space exploration endeavors, even as he navigates the complexities of his involvement in governmental affairs.
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