Tesla CEO Elon Musk says he may keep doing work with the Department of Government Efficiency through the remainder of President Donald Trump’s second term, amid calls for him to step away from politics.
Musk said he plans to reduce his role with DOGE to a “day or two” per week starting next month, “or as long as the President would like me to do so, and as long as it is useful.”
The executive made his comments on Tesla’s quarterly earnings call, just about an hour-and-a-half after Tesla admitted in a shareholder letter that “political sentiment” is harming the company’s sales. Combined with other factors — including increased competition and Trump’s tariff mess — Musk’s involvement in the Trump administration helped drive a 71% drop in profit compared to the first quarter of last year.
Musk’s comments come just a few days after one of Tesla’s biggest supporters on Wall Street said the company is in a “code red” situation if the CEO didn’t pull back from his government work.
The work Musk has done with DOGE to gut government agencies and — in his words — feeding one into “the wood chipper” has resulted in worldwide protests against him and Tesla.
Musk tried on Tuesday’s call to blame the protests as being “paid for,” without offering any evidence. He claimed the people in attendance are “protesting because they’re receiving fraudulent money, or the recipients of waste,” again without providing any proof or trying to justify this line of thinking.
Musk said the “major work of establishing” DOGE is over, which would allow him to pull back his involvement. He is technically a “special government employee,” which is supposed to limit his work to 130 days in any 365-day period. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.