Musk said Doge had made progress but ‘not as effective as I wanted’ after the first 100 days

Elon Musk described his first 100 days in Washington as the head of the government’s efficiency department as “very, very intense,” by saying he was proud of his team’s work but blamed “a series of rooted interests” for limiting their progress so far.

Sitting on Wednesday at the head of the table in the Roosevelt room in the White House wearing black clothes, Musk and three of its top officials, Steve Davis, Antonio Gracias and Anthony Armstrong discussed their early months in Washington, suppressing fraud claims, their future workloads, goals that shifted doffing and suspects with President Donald.

‘Not as effective as I want’

Contemplating the first 100 days, Musk admitted that while his team had made progress, claiming to have saved the American taxpayer of $ 160 billion so far, “We have not been as effective as I want.”

“I think we are effective, not as effective as I want, I think we can be more effective, but we make progress,” he said.

Musk initially said that at the Campaign General Meeting at Madison Square Garden who would save the country “at least $ 2 trillion” in federal expenditure, before then lowering a goal to $ 1 trillion. Asked whether Doge could still achieve the goals stated to cut $ 1 trillion in federal expenditure, Musk said Wednesday the target remains “possible” but admit “it is really difficult” and he will need more support.

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

Musk claims that if Doge will reach $ 1 trillion in cutting, it might go down to “how much pain is willing to do a cabinet and congress. That can be done, but requires a lot of dealing with many complaints.”

Musk criticized the federal budgeting structure as a default to “spend what you did last year added 5% without time limit,” comparing the challenges of reforms by “Changing the direction of the Superanker fleet.”

“We make as many progress as possible there are many inertia in government … So, it seems, this is not easy. This is, this is a way to make many enemies and not many friends.”

Rejuvenated, Musk said the success of “really” possible – but depends on more political support.

“Is there a sufficient political will in the congress and in other places to really do that? It still has to be seen. If we can do it. We will, is it possible to do it, yes.”

Time Musk in Washington – and in the White House

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

“Sometimes I live in the White House,” he said. “In Lincoln’s bedroom,” even though he refused to say how often.

Asked how many days a week he worked from Washington, Musk replied, “varies,” laughter.

He described the first three months Doge as “very intense,” comparing efforts with startups. “100 days are very intense,” he said, noting that he sometimes worked seven days a week from the White House. Now, he said, his presence was less important.

“We become more than rhythm,” he said, estimating he would work one to two days per week. “My guess is that I will be in DC maybe every week.”

“If the presidential cabinet has an emergency they want to respond, then I will do it,” Musk said. “But on the contrary … I think it’s quite easy to manage.”

Asked who would lead the doge in his absence, Musk was deflected with humor: “DOGE is a way of life … like Buddhism … You will not ask the question, ‘Who will lead Buddhism.'”

He said he expects Doge for the last Trump’s term of office, even though the executive order that determines him is ending in July 2026. “In the end it was up to President Trump,” he said.

Musk spoke warmly about his relationship with Trump, describing it as “friends,” and discussed how he sometimes finally stayed at the White House or Mar-A-Lago.

“We will be in Air Force One and Marine One. And then he is like, ‘Hey, you want to stay?’ I am like, ‘of course.’ Then he said, this is Lincoln’s bedroom.

He added that Trump often offers spontaneous accommodation: “We really arrive at Marine One and he is like, ‘Where are you staying tonight?’ I am like, ‘I don’t know, at a friend’s house, I think?’ And then he is like, ‘You want to stay here?’ “

Musk remembers one night to get a call from the President: “He will really call, like, late at night and say, like, ‘Oh, by the way, make sure you get ice cream from the kitchen.'” Musk added: “Then I left and got ice cream from the kitchen, and I ate one batht

“Don’t say RFK,” joked Musk, referring to HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr.

Asked about the tension with other cabinet members, including State Secretary Marco Rubio, Musk underestimated friction.

“Sometimes sometimes, there will be some disagreements with the cabinet, but I will say that the relationship with the cabinet is very good,” he said. “And you see it from the cabinet meeting this morning … The Credited Cabinet will make a big progress.”

Fraud investigation

Musk was also asked about the ongoing investigation associated with fraud allegedly discovered by Doge. He said the department had referred several cases to the Department of Justice.

“As the saying goes, the wheel of justice is spinning slowly … but hopefully sure.”

Gracias, one of the doge officials at the table, said the team had referred 57 cases of potential voter fraud involving population aliens, although some specifics of the accusations were distributed.

Musk went further, claiming Doge had found a “hundreds of thousands” fraud cases but prioritized which one would be sent to DOJ for prosecution.

“How many doj can be prosecuted?” Musk asked. “They cannot pursue many people. So, we try to find cases that seem to be the fairest piece.”

He said Doge prepares “proof files” for every reference, which is reviewed by DOJ – a process that Musk said needs “a few weeks.”

What is next?

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

“We have to spend more on hypersonic missiles and long distance drones more than raw systems,” he said.

Asked if he had shared that view with the defense secretary Pete Hegseth, Musk said: “I have made the recommendation many times so that when I saw the Secretary of Hegseth, he said, ‘Hypersonic missiles and long-distance drones?'”

“Talking, he doesn’t agree,” added Musk.

At one point, Musk seemed to be happy in the fact that “Doge,” once the meme he shared on his X platform, has actually been realized to be the main part of the federal government: “Funny that we have doge. His absurdity seems like we are here? But like that?”

Asked whether he would play a role in the mid -semester of 2026, Musk Demurred: “Well, that’s not a question for today. Today’s question is about DOGE.”

Asked again whether someone would replace him in Doge when he resigned, Musk replied, “Is Buddha needed for Buddhism?”