You Vote: With Musk planning to step back considerably from his role with DOGE, has he succeeded?

President Donald Trump's goals for the Department of Government Efficiency remain even as leader Elon Musk prepares to spend less time on government matters and more time with electric vehicle maker Tesla.

When Trump first created DOGE, before taking office, he said it would be the government cost-cutting equivalent of the "Manhattan Project." Both Trump and Musk promised Americans would get a more efficient government after DOGE addressed government waste and cut regulations, but the final product – a streamlined government – isn't due until July 4, 2026, the nation's 250th birthday.

Starting in May, Musk said he plans to spend less time in Washington after Tesla reported a 71% drop in profits during the first quarter of 2025. Musk's time working in government had been limited from the outset, with both Trump and Musk saying so from the beginning.

Musk initially said DOGE would aim to cut $2 trillion from the federal budget, but he later cut that in half. At a Cabinet meeting earlier this month, Musk said DOGE was on pace to cut $150 billion from the federal budget.