The newly-formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) won’t manage to slash $2 trillion from the federal budget, its co-chair Elon Musk admitted on Wednesday.
During a conversation with political strategist, Mark Penn, broadcast on X on Wednesday, the controversial CEO rowed back on the lofty target that he had set out during the Trump presidential campaign last year. Musk described the $2 trillion figure as a “best-case outcome,” claiming instead that DOGE had a “good shot” at cutting half of it.
While far from an admission of defeat, the downgraded estimate will still come as a blow to Musk and Trump, whose second term is just days away. At the time, commentators had been quick to dismiss the touted figure as implausible. This admission might serve as a striking reflection of the new government in miniature, with big claims ultimately leading to dampened expectations.
