Presidential advisor Elon Musk defended his agency, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and warned that if it cannot complete its mission, it’s the end of the United States and his company, Tesla, CNN reported.
During a call with investors on Tuesday, Musk said he plans to scale back his work at DOGE to a day or two starting in May in an effort to focus on Tesla after its net income dropped.
Tesla’s revenue fell 9%, its auto revenue fell 20% and its adjusted income dropped 39%, CNN reported. The company’s net income dropped 71%.
These drops were likely the result of protests and acts of vandalism outside Tesla centers across the country, the news network reported. Musk claimed these protests were against DOGE’s actions in cutting funds and slashing jobs from government agencies.
“I think the right thing to do is fight the waste and fraud and try to get the country back on the right track,” he said. “If the ship of America goes down, Tesla will go with it.”
He added that the protests have not affected demand for Tesla vehicles, and that the company’s future in developing autonomous driving and humanoid robots will create “sustainable abundance for all.”
“The future of Tesla is brighter than ever,” Musk said, per CNN.
At the start of his time at DOGE, Musk had a 130-day limit in working as a “special government employee” until the end of May, Politico reported in early April.
“The billionaire is ready to exit because he is tired of fielding what he views as a slew of nasty and unethical attacks from the political left, according to a person familiar with his thinking,” the Washington Post reported Monday.
By leaving DOGE, Musk believes his departure will not “diminish the [department’s] power or work,” the report stated.