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WSJ Opinion: Potomac Watch

Elon Musk Says Goodbye to DOGE and D.C.

WSJ Opinion: Potomac Watch

The Wall Street Journal

Society & Culture, News

42.7K Ratings

🗓️ 30 May 2025

⏱️ 24 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In an Oval Office farewell, he touts the work of his Department of Government Efficiency, while saying it will continue without him. How much has DOGE accomplished, and why did it fall short of the initial promises? Plus, the Supreme Court issues a unanimous ruling in favor of a railroad project that regulators finally approved after a 3,600-page environmental study. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Amazon offers employees up to £8,000 for education and training, like Juliet.

0:07.0

She's now a trained technician.

0:10.0

And to her, the sound of machinery in need of repair, reminds her of how far she's come.

0:18.0

In two years, she's landed her dream job, providing her with valuable skills.

0:24.2

That's up to £8,000 for education and training at Amazon.

0:28.3

Eligibility conditions apply.

0:32.5

From the opinion pages of the Wall Street Journal, this is Potomac Watch.

0:39.0

Elon Musk wishes Washington goodbye as he steps back from his Doge effort during an Oval Office

0:45.6

press conference with President Trump. Meantime, the Supreme Court narrows federal permitting

0:50.9

reviews after a lower court ruled that a 3,600-page environmental studies still

0:57.6

wasn't enough. Welcome, I'm Kyle Peterson with the Wall Street Journal. We're joined today by my

1:04.6

colleagues, columnist Alicia Finley, and editorial board member Colin Levy. Four months after President Trump's inauguration,

1:13.3

the Department of Government Efficiency or Doge is losing its leader, Elon Musk, who

1:18.8

originally hatched the idea, as well as one of its top Doge lieutenant, Steve Davis. But the

1:25.4

doge goes on, or at least that's the promise. Here is Elon Musk about an

1:29.4

hour or two ago in the Oval Office, sizing up his tenure. This is not the end of Doge, but really the

1:36.1

beginning. My time as a special governor employee necessarily had to end. It was a limited time thing.

1:41.5

It's 134 days, I believe, which adds in a few days. So that, you know, it comes with a time of it.

1:49.5

And but the Doge team will only grow stronger over time. The Doge influence will only grow stronger. It's, I'd liken it to sort of Bush and Buddhism. It's like a way of life.

1:59.9

So it is permeating throughout the government,

2:02.6

and I'm confident that over time we'll see a trillion dollars of savings and a reduction in,

2:08.6

a trillion dollars of waste of fraud reduction. The calculations of the Doge team thus far,

...

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