Musk says that Dege has progressed, but ‘not as effective as I would like’ after the first 100 days

Elon Musk described his first 100 days in Washington as head of the Government’s efficiency department as “very intense”, saying that he was proud of his team’s work, but blaming a “rooting set of interests” for limiting his progress so far.

Sitting Wednesday at the head of the table in the Roosevelt room at the White House dressed in All Black, Musk and three of her senior Dogle officials, Steve Davis, Antonio Thank you and Anthony Armstrong discussed her first months in Washington, pressed fraud claims, her future workload, Doge’s objectives and Musk’s relationship with President Donald Trump.

‘Not as effective as I would like’

Reflecting on his first 100 days, Musk acknowledged that, although his team had progressed, claiming to have saved US taxpayers $ 160 billion so far, “we have not been as effective as I would like.”

“I think we have been effective, not as effective as I would like, I think we could be more effective, but we advance,” he said.

Initially, Musk initially said in a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden that Dege would save the country “at least $ 2 billion” in federal expenses, before reducing the target to $ 1 billion. When asked if Dege could achieve his declared objective of reducing $ 1 billion in federal expenditure, Musk said Wednesday that the goal remains “possible” but admitted “is really difficult” and will need more support.

“I think it is possible to do that, but there is a long way to go and, you know, this, this really is really difficult,” he said. “But our savings rate per day is quite good. You know, we are like, $ 1.6 billion per day, 100 days later.”

Musk said that if Dege will reach $ 1 billion in cuts, it may be due to “how much pain is the cabinet and the congress willing to take. It can be done, but requires dealing with many complaints.”

Musk criticized the structure of the federal budget as a breach to “spend what did more 5% indefinitely” last year, comparing the challenge of the reform with “changing the direction of a supercorneros fleet.”

“We are advancing as much as we can, there is a lot of inertia in the government … so it’s like, it’s not easy. This is, this is a way of making many enemies and not many friends.”

Pressing again, Musk said success was “absolutely” possible, but depending on more political support.

“Is there a sufficient political will in Congress and elsewhere to do that? It remains to be seen. If we can do it. We will do it, is it possible to do, yes.”

Musk time in Washington, and in the White House

Musk also spoke in detail about his daily life in Washington, including where he stays and how often he works from the White House.

“Sometimes I stay in the White House,” he said. “In Lincoln’s room,” although he refused to say how often.

When asked how many days a week he works from Washington, Musk replied: “Vary,” laughing.

He described the first three months of Doge as “very intense”, comparing the effort with a startup. “Very intense 100 days,” he said, and pointed out that he had sometimes worked seven days of the White House Week. Now, he said, his presence is less essential.

“We are getting into a rhythm,” he said, estimating that he will work one or two days a week in the future. “I guess I will be in DC probably every two weeks.”

“If the president’s cabinet has an emergency they want me to answer, then I will,” Musk said. “But otherwise … I think it’s quite manageable.”

When asked who would take Dogs in his absence, Musk deviated with humor: “Doge is a way of life … like Buddhism … you would not ask the question, ‘who would lead Buddhism.”

He said he hopes Dege will last Trump’s full term, although the executive order that is currently established in July 2026. “Ultimately, it depends on President Trump,” he said.

Musk spoke hotly about his relationship with Trump, describing him as a “friend”, and argued how sometimes he ends up the night at the White House or Mar-a-lago.

“We will be in Air Force One and Marine. And then he says: ‘Hey, do you want to stay?’ I’m like, ‘Claro’. Then he said here Lincoln’s room.

He added that Trump often offers accommodations spontaneously: “We are literally arriving in Marine and he says: ‘Where do you stay tonight?’ I say: ‘I don’t know, in a friend’s house, I suppose. “

Musk recalled a night call receiving a call from the president: “He will actually call, as, late at night, and will say, as ‘Oh, by the way, be sure to get an ice cream from the kitchen’.” Musk added: “Then I went and obtained the ice cream from the kitchen, and ate an entire bathtub … it’s epic.”

“Don’t tell RFK,” Musk joked, referring to the secretary of HHS Robert Kennedy Jr.

When asked about tensions with other members of the cabinet, including Secretary of State Framework Rubio, Musk minimized friction.

“Sometimes there will be some disagreements with the cabinet, but I would say that the relationship with the cabinet is extremely good,” he said. “And you see it from the cabinet meeting this morning … the Dux Cabinet would make great progress.”

Fraud research

Musk was also asked about ongoing investigations linked to fraud allegedly discovered by Dege. He said the department had referred several cases to the Department of Justice.

“As the saying goes, the wheels of justice turn slowly … but hopefully.”

Thank you, one of the DEGE officials at the table, said the team had referred to 57 cases of potential electoral fraud that involved resident aliens, although few details of the accusations were shared.

Musk went further, claiming that Dege had found “hundreds of thousands” of fraud cases, but was prioritizing what to send to the Department of Justice for prosecution.

“How many can the Department of Justice process?” Musk asked. “They cannot persecute those people. So, then we are trying to find the cases that seem to be the most fair cut.”

He said Doge prepares a “evidence file” for each reference, which reviews the DOJ, a process that Musk said “several weeks.”

What follows?

Musk reiterated his belief that the federal government should invest more in modern weapons technology.

“We should spend more on hypersonic missiles and long -range drones rather than raw systems,” he said.

When asked if he had shared that point of view with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Musk said: “I have made that recommendation so many times that when I see Secretary Hegseth, he says: ‘Hypersonic missiles and long -range drones?'”

“By the way, Musk added.

In a moment, Musk seemed to enjoy the reality that “junction”, once a meme that shared on his platform X, had materialized in an important part of the federal government: “It is fun that we have Dux. The absurd of that seems, how are we in a simulation here? But, how, was a memecoin in a moment. How did we do it here?

When asked if he would play a role in the socks through 2026, Musk demured: “Well, that is not a question for today. Today’s question is about Doge.”

When asked again if someone would replace him in Doge when he went back, Musk replied: “Is Buddha needed for Buddhism?”