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That one line sums up the Tesla CEO’s frustration with a system that seems built more to stall than solve. Musk, who has revolutionized industries from electric vehicles to space travel, found himself mired in a federal swamp that resists change at every turn.
As head of DOGE, Musk says his team managed to identify and eliminate $175 billion in waste. But instead of applause, they became lightning rods.
“DOGE became the whipping boy for everything,” Musk told CBS. Critics, both in the media and in Washington, blamed the department for every issue under the sun—whether it had anything to do with them or not.
He added that Americans were falsely led to believe “somehow DOGE is gonna stop them from getting their Social Security check, which is completely untrue.”
While Musk’s team slashed waste in a matter of months, Congress torpedoed that progress in mere days.
Lawmakers passed a massive spending bill that President Trump famously dubbed a “big, beautiful bill.” But the Congressional Budget Office projected it will add a jaw-dropping $3.8 trillion to the national debt over the next 10 years.
Musk didn’t hold back his disappointment.
“I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit—it doesn’t decrease it—and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing,” he said.
When asked about Trump’s praise for the legislation, Musk shot back with surgical precision: “I think a bill can be big, or it can be beautiful—but I don’t know if it can be both.”
The CBS interview also hinted at a rift between Musk and Trump, once viewed as political allies.
Musk said he prefers to focus on “spaceships, as opposed to presidential policy,” but eventually opened up about his discomfort with the political fallout.
“It’s not like I agree with everything the administration does,” Musk told CBS, admitting he has “differences of opinion” with Trump.
He added, “I don’t want to speak out against the administration, but I also don’t want to take responsibility for everything the administration’s doing.”
Behind the scenes, the relationship had already begun to cool. CBS noted that Trump once praised Musk regularly on social media—sometimes as many as six times a week. But by April, the President had gone radio silent.
Meanwhile, Musk’s focus on government reform took a heavy toll on his businesses. Tesla’s profits cratered by 71% during his time in D.C., and his personal net worth reportedly dropped by $100 billion.
Protesters targeted Tesla dealerships across the country, and Musk admitted the attacks were exhausting.
“Being attacked relentlessly is not super fun,” he said. “Seeing cars on fire is not fun.”
Though Musk has stepped away from his government post, he insists the mission isn’t dead.
“DOGE is going to continue—it’s a way of life,” he declared.
At a recent White House event, Trump tried to downplay any friction and suggested Musk would remain involved in some capacity.
“Elon’s really not leaving,” Trump told reporters. “He’s going to be back and forth, I think.”
But Musk made it clear that his attention has returned to his companies.
“My focus has to be on the companies at this point,” he said.
Musk’s parting shot comparing the federal government to an overgrown DMV will likely resonate with millions of Americans fed up with bloated bureaucracy and broken promises.
His whirlwind stint in Washington proved what many suspected: the swamp is deeper than anyone imagined—and it fights back hard when threatened.
The question now isn’t whether Musk gave it his best shot.
The question is: can anyone actually drain the swamp?
