Elon Musk said he became too involved in politics and “got carried away” during his work with President Donald Trump’s administration. His remarks amount to a partial expression of regret over his role in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which pursued wide-ranging cuts to federal spending and staffing. The issue matters because DOGE’s actions affected government services and overseas aid, while prompting legal and political controversy.

Musk made the comments in an interview with The Economist but did not specify which decisions he regretted. He nevertheless defended DOGE’s work and rejected claims that its cuts to the US Agency for International Development caused deaths, describing USAID as a political organisation. DOGE closed on 4 July after an 18-month operation marked by lawsuits, job losses and reductions in government programmes.