Elon Musk might soon be leaving Washington, but he says DOGE needs to be a long-term project. Musk insisted in a TV interview that the project to slash government spending and eliminate entire agencies ought to endure amid signs that he may soon step away from the effort and return to his struggling electric car company.

Elon Musk recently said he'd take a step back at DOGE to focus more on Tesla, which reported disappointing Q1 earnings amid several difficult months.

Elon Musk is defending the work of the Department of Government Efficiency as he prepares to scale back from his government role and spend more time at his businesses.