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.

Tesla boss Elon Musk has pledged to "significantly" cut back his role in Doge, the body tasked with reducing US government spending and cutting jobs. The Department of Government Efficiency has faced legal challenges over the scope of its work, and Musk and his team have been been criticised for a lack of transparency.