Critics of Elon Musk, tapped to co-lead the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), are starting to doubt his capabilities.
Speaking on POLITICO’s Tech podcast, Democratic Representative Ro Khanna expressed doubts about Musk’s ability to achieve the deep cuts he envisions, particularly in areas like defense spending.
“I think Elon may get frustrated fairly quickly,” Khanna said. “Let’s see if he can get defense cuts. My guess is that there are going to be a lot of people on that committee [who] are going to want even more defense spending. It’ll be a test.”
Musk disclosed in early 2021 that he has been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, which can make concentrating on mundane tasks difficult.
Khanna, though a Democrat, has found common ground on the issue of bloated military budgets.
He is a longtime advocate for reducing defense expenditures, and noted that while commissions like DOGE have historically struggled to achieve meaningful reforms, Musk’s direct influence with Trump could give the initiative a fighting chance.
“The real question here will be how effective he will be going after true waste and true abuse like you have in terms of defense contractors,” he remarked.
However, Khanna cautioned that Musk’s ambitious goals would face major hurdles in Congress, where both defense spending and entrenched bureaucracy enjoy bipartisan support.
Experts have pointed out that DOGE’s advisory role limits its ability to directly implement reforms, leaving the initiative reliant on Trump’s executive power and cooperation from Congress.
Even so, Musk’s close alliance with Trump and his advocacy throughout the election cycle suggest the President-elect may prioritize DOGE’s recommendations.
“Elon Musk is exactly the kind of innovative leader we need to tackle waste and bring common sense back to Washington,” said one Republican strategist.
Still, critics argue that the complexities of federal spending, especially in defense, make achieving sweeping reforms a daunting task.
