Elon Musk lays out plans for DOGE's cost-cutting in late-night, freewheeling conversation on X

The billionaire hosted a rambling 50-minute conversation on X Spaces in the early hours of Monday with Republican senators Joni Ernst, Mike Lee and former DOGE co-lead Vivek Ramaswamy

Elon Musk laid out vague plans for the Department of Government Efficiency’s cost-cutting in an unofficial late-night conversation on X - calling for a ‘wholesale spring cleaning.’

The billionaire hosted a rambling 50-minute conversation on X Spaces early Monday with Republican senators Joni Ernst, Mike Lee and former DOGE co-lead Vivek Ramaswamy.

“We just got to do [a] wholesale spring cleaning of regulation and get the government off the backs of everyday Americans so people can get things done, and the government isn't… doesn't have a sort of boot on the neck of the average Americans,” Musk said.

Lee said that America was due for a moment of political upheaval and described 2025 as “the DOGE revolution.”

Musk suggested that DOGE may turn to the Supreme Court if it needs backup to push through some of his cuts when they meet resistance. The Tesla founder acknowledged that three justices were nominated by President Donald Trump.

“If it's not possible now, it'll never be possible,” Musk said. “This is our shot. This is the best hand of cards we're ever going to have.”

Elon Musk hosted a rambling 50-minute conversation on X Spaces about his DOGE plans and called for a ‘wholesale spring cleaning’ (via REUTERS)

During the session, Musk and his guests also railed against the U.S. Agency for International Development and claimed the agency is “criminal” and “beyond repair.” The organization provides foreign aid and humanitarian assistance to countries grappling with poverty, conflict, disease and natural disasters.

Musk revealed that Trump supports his calls to shut the federal agency down.

“None of this could be done without the full support of the President. And with regard to the USAID stuff, I went over it with him, you know, in detail,” Musk said. “And he agreed that we should shut it down.”

“I actually checked with him a few times — ‘Are you sure?’ Like, ‘yes’, so we shutting it down,” Musk said.

“It became apparent that it’s not an apple with a worm it in,” Musk said of USAID. “What we have is just a ball of worms. You’ve got to basically get rid of the whole thing. It’s beyond repair. We’re shutting it down.”

Musk also agreed with Ernst’s suggestion to move USAID to under the State Department’s umbrella.

On Sunday night, Trump suggested he would rein Musk in if he felt he had gone too far with his cost-cutting proposals. “Sometimes we won’t agree with it and we’ll not go where he wants to go, but I think he’s doing a great job,” Trump told reporters.

The SpaceX CEO ended the discussion by asking listeners to support DOGE’s “noble goal” but didn’t elaborate further.

“DOGE will win if millions of people support it in ways that I wouldn't...I wouldn't even know how they supported it, but...but just that you did,” he said.