Elon Musk’s interview with CBS Sunday Morning began on an awkward note when reporter David Pogue asked the SpaceX CEO about his thoughts on President Donald Trump’s policies, particularly restrictions affecting international students.
“I think we want to stick to the subject of the day, which is, like, spaceships, as opposed to, you know, presidential policy,” Musk replied.
Pogue, surprised, responded, “Oh, okay, I was told, ‘Anything’s good.’”
“No,” Musk said, looking into the distance. “Well… no.”
Musk on Government Cuts and ‘DOGE’ Criticism
Musk did comment on his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has implemented aggressive cuts across federal agencies. He expressed frustration that the department had become “the whipping boy for everything.”
“If there was some cut, real or imagined, everyone would blame DOGE,” he said.
Musk also acknowledged feeling “a little stuck in a bind” regarding his role in the Trump administration. “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,” he explained.
The interview took place before SpaceX’s Starship test flight, which launched successfully but lost control during reentry. When asked if there was a common thread linking his companies—SpaceX, Tesla, xAI, X (formerly Twitter), Neuralink, and The Boring Company—Musk said, “I guess you could think of the businesses as things that improve the probable trajectory of civilization.”
Pulling Back But Staying Involved
At the time of the interview, Musk was reportedly stepping back from government work but planned to remain involved for “a day or two” per week. “DOGE is going to continue, just as a way of life,” Musk said. “And I will have some participation in that, but as I’ve said publicly, my focus has to be on the companies at this point.”
Pogue noted that after the interview, a clip of Musk’s criticism of the Trump-backed budget bill sparked its own news cycle. Soon after, Musk announced he was ending his time as a special government employee. However, President Trump later said Musk was “not really leaving” and would be “back and forth.”
What The Author Thinks
Elon Musk’s reluctance to engage deeply in political discourse while simultaneously wielding influence behind the scenes highlights the challenge faced by high-profile tech leaders balancing innovation with public scrutiny. His focus on advancing technology and civilization’s trajectory, though admirable, cannot be fully separated from the political environments in which these technologies operate.
