Elon Musk discusses Dogecoin and his stance on not assuming accountability for every action by the administration he leads.
CHANGED GAME:
Elon Musk and Donald Trump used to be buddies, with Musk even spending a whopping $288 million to help elect Trump and his cronies. But their friendship quickly turned sour as Musk faced criticism and backlash for his role in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Trump welcomed Musk into the Oval Office and even Cabinet meetings, with Musk calling himself "first buddy." Musk claimed he was instrumental in creating a more efficient government and demonstrated his ideas by wielding a chainsaw at a Conservative Political Action Conference meeting.
However, things took a turn for the worse when Musk's DOGE plan resulted in the firing or buyout of 250,000 federal workers. Musk even targeted environmental agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) after decades of warning about the risks of climate change.
Musk soon found himself dealing with acts of violence, death threats, lawsuits, mandatory re-hirings, and shouting matches with Cabinet members. Tesla profits plummeted by 71% and Musk's net worth dropped by $100 billion, leading Musk to finally leave Washington.
But Musk wasn't done with Washington just yet. He still intended to work on DOGE a day or two a week. He even offered an interview to "Sunday Morning" at SpaceX's headquarters, but the interview didn't go as planned.
UNCOMFORTABLE QUESTIONS:
In the interview, Musk was asked about tariffs and the trade wars affecting his businesses, as well as his thoughts on the ban on foreign students. Musk didn't want to delve into political issues and simply said he wanted to focus on spaceships.
However, Musk was willing to discuss the controversy surrounding DOGE. He acknowledged that the initiative became a "whipping boy" for everything and that people were upset about the effects on Social Security, national parks, air traffic, food safety, cancer research, Alzheimer's research, and more.
Despite this, Musk argued that DOGE was not responsible for these issues and that cuts in government spending were misunderstood.
PROBING DEEPER:
I asked Musk if he regretted his approach to DOGE, and he admitted that perhaps there could have been a different approach. "What was starting to happen was that, like, it's a bit unfair because, like, DOGE became the whipping boy for everything," Musk said.
Musk also defended the "move fast and break things" approach, claiming it depended on where you're coming from. "I'm like a proponent of smaller government, not bigger government," Musk said. "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."
CONTROVERSIES AND ACCUSATIONS:
Unfortunately, the interview didn't go as planned, and Musk faced criticism for his remarks, which made national news. Musk's comments about Trump's spending bill led to his departure from the Trump administration. Despite Musk's claims that his limited 130-day stint as advisor was ending, he had previously said he still intended to work on DOGE part-time.
Truth is, the Trump-Musk relationship had already cooled, with Trump posting about Musk about six times a week but stopping altogether by April. Still, on Friday, they held a media event at the White House to confirm their mutual admiration and leave the door open for future collaboration.
SPACELAB:After the interview, Musk watched the ninth launch of his Starship, the biggest rocket ever built. Despite previous failures, this test ended in success, with the Starship returning to Earth in one piece. Musk said, "I can't guarantee success, but I can guarantee excitement."
In the end, Elon Musk's giant rocket spun out of control. It did not survive re-entry.
Sources:- Musk calls for U.S. to "delete entire agencies" at home and "mind its own business" at times abroad- DOGE's impact on federal departments and government spending- Challenges and controversies surrounding DOGE- Legal issues and lack of transparency with DOGE
Author: David Pogue is a six-time Emmy winner for his stories on "our Sunday Morning," where he's been a correspondent since 2002. He hosts the "our News" podcast "Unsung Science" and is a New York Times bestselling author, a five-time TED speaker, and host of 20 NOVA science specials on PBS. For 13 years, he wrote a New York Times tech column every week and a Scientific American column every month.
- Elon Musk's controversial involvement in politics surfaced as he spent $288 million to aid the election of politicians, including Donald Trump.
- Musk's foray into politics led him to attend the Oval Office and even Cabinet meetings, where he referred to himself as Trump's "first buddy."
- However, Musk's influence in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) resulted in the dismissal or buyout of approximately 250,000 federal workers.
- Musk's DOGE plan targeted environmental agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), amid warnings about climate change.
- Musk faced acts of violence, death threats, lawsuits, mandatory re-hirings, and arguments with Cabinet members during his tenure, leading to a drop in Tesla's profits by 71% and a decrease in Musk's net worth by $100 billion.
- Despite leaving Washington, Musk continued his work on DOGE, offering an interview to "Sunday Morning" at SpaceX's headquarters.
- During the interview, Musk was asked about tariffs, trade wars, and the ban on foreign students, but he preferred to focus on space endeavors.
- Musk defended the DOGE initiative, acknowledging that it had become a "whipping boy" for various issues, such as Social Security, national parks, air traffic, food safety, cancer research, and Alzheimer's research.
- In response to being asked if he regretted his approach to DOGE, Musk expressed that perhaps a different approach could have been taken, as DOGE was radiating as the scapegoat for everything.
- Musk advocated for smaller government and criticized the idea of increased governmental programs, while those in favor of such programs saw DOGE's cuts as detrimental.
- Musk was criticized for his remarks during the interview, which made headlines across the nation, leading to his departure from the Trump administration.
- Despite the cooling relationship between Musk and Trump, they still held a media event at the White House to express their mutual appreciation and leave the door open for future collaboration.
- In a critical turn of events, Musk's Starship, the largest rocket ever built, did not survive re-entry after the ninth launch, marking another setback in his space-and-astronomy ventures.
