Thursday, January 09, 2025

Musk Suddenly Backtracks on His Biggest DOGE Promise

Musk is finally admitting the Department of Government Efficiency is going to be a total bust.

Posted by Corky at 10:30 PM | 19 COMMENTS | permalink

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"I think we'll try for $2 trillion. I think that's the best-case outcome," Musk responded.

"But I do think that you kind of have to have some overage. I think if we try for $2 trillion, we've got a good shot at getting one [trillion]."

Comments

"This is vindicating for budget specialists who have been deeply skeptical about Musk's claims from the jump, as cutting $2 trillion from a $6.8 trillion budget is essentially unfeasible."

"Musk has been touting DOGE as a fiscal savior fighting big government ever since Trump named him as co-chair of the advisory body in November.

But its potential grows more and more questionable as Trump's inauguration draws nearer"and as Republican intraparty rifts grow more pronounced.

Musk's retraction on the $2 trillion he boldly proclaimed onstage at the Madison Square Garden Rally is only the latest example."

#1 | Posted by Corky at 2025-01-09 01:31 PM

I think if we try for $2 trillion, we've got a good shot at getting one [trillion].

Well they say the best way to make a million dollars is to start with 2 million.

#2 | Posted by REDIAL at 2025-01-09 01:40 PM

Musk's retraction on the $2 trillion he boldly proclaimed onstage at the Madison Square Garden Rally is only the latest example."

#1 | POSTED BY CORKY

Just like we warned America not to waste American blood and treasure in the sands of Iraq (especially without an exit strategy) we tried to warn Americans about Trump and his so-called "plans". Or should I say his "concepts of plans"? Because he doesn't actually have any well thought out plans. Just trolls and memes and feces that he flings at the walls to see what sticks.

America can apparently only learn its lessons the hard way.
It's
BTW- I can find $2trillion to cut from the budget right now.

Unfortunately I would need a Time Machine to stop America from entering Iraq.

(With a Time Machine I could even find another $2 trillion by preventing Trumpy's tax cuts for the wealthy.)

#3 | Posted by donnerboy at 2025-01-09 03:04 PM

Elon is free to resign the presidency at any time.

#4 | Posted by Zed at 2025-01-09 03:08 PM

Is it true Leon is going to pardon Epstein's wingman?

#5 | Posted by reinheitsgebot at 2025-01-09 03:10 PM

Elon and his dog Trump have their minds set on getting some of the funds from Social Security and Medicare as Republicans always do.

#6 | Posted by Corky at 2025-01-09 03:13 PM

When they come for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, etc...
it is important that people fight back and call their local
representatives. Don't roll over and just take it like well
trained American Lemmings.

#7 | Posted by earthmuse at 2025-01-10 06:34 AM

Ketamine ... breakfast of chumps.

#8 | Posted by Doc_Sarvis at 2025-01-10 07:00 AM

"We" are going to get one trillion..."
Let me translate that from oligarch speak: The idiot MAGA people have been brainwashed into supporting the super rich, as those rich form a gang that will take from the poor and give to the rich, and most of that trillion will go right into the pockets of people like Musk and Bezos and of course...zuck.
The Poor will get little to nothing and many may actually lose Social Security , medicare, health care, educational opportunities, and the rest.
Any country that lets the plutocrats run the show, are living in a banana republic but don't have the courage to acknowledge that fact.

#9 | Posted by Hughmass at 2025-01-10 07:04 AM

Musk Suddenly Backtracks on His Biggest DOGE Promise

This is what happens when people who know NOTHING about government get involved to try and FIX government and that includes the voters. Things are the way they are for a reason. The people that went before them weren't idiots just doing things on a whim. The collective wisdom of everyone that went before us got us to this point in time.

In order to change the way the government works, spends its money, etc., there will be some pain. Who should bear that pain? The people least able to bear it? During the days of Jim Crow, the answer was easy: POC. It was easy to determine and then target who did/did not benefit from America's riches. Now that POC participate more fully in society and enjoy its benefits, it is harder to target them exclusively. So, in order to "right the ship", conservatives and xenophobes target the one institution that can guarantee that POC and other marginalized people can fully participate in society: the federal government.

#10 | Posted by FedUpWithPols at 2025-01-10 07:18 AM

Yeah, whatever.

The foreseeable future will be riddled with these ------ saying inflammatory crap to rile whoever and and then backtracking.

#11 | Posted by Angrydad at 2025-01-10 07:36 AM

Oh, and those 11 million folks to be deported? Well, it's actually 47 people now in federal jails and set to be released because of their age and medical conditions...

#12 | Posted by catdog at 2025-01-10 02:51 PM

Unlike liberals/dems, Musk is capable of reevaluating and changing course.

#13 | Posted by MSgt at 2025-01-10 03:37 PM

Unlike liberals/dems, Musk is capable of reevaluating and changing course.

#13 | Posted by MSgt

The stupid is strong with this one.

#14 | Posted by Sycophant at 2025-01-10 04:24 PM

...reevaluating and changing course.

They have a lot of lies to reevaluate and change course on. So far, not bringing prices down and not balancing the budget are only two of them.

#15 | Posted by REDIAL at 2025-01-10 05:37 PM

- The stupid is strong with this one.

In a society where the love of money is the norm, it becomes obvious to some people that millionaires and billionaires are just better than them.

They must be smarter and braver and almost always right about almost everything.

Including that they should get a bigger percent in tax cuts on their income than most people.

So Pres Musk is, "capable of reevaluating and changing course."... and going to Mars and building transatlantic tunnels...

... and if he really wanted to he could beat up Travis Kelce and steal his girlfriend Taylor something.

He can do anything, and some day Trumpers are going grow up be billionaires too, so let's not be too hard on the Oligarchs!

Some of the weirdest characters on these pages like Robson and Visitor are convinced that Trump is protecting them from the Oligarchs.

Apparently by giving himself and his richer buddies anything they want... like tax payers funding their bitcoins with their salaries, pensions, investments, social security, and medicare

But it's OK, because all that's going to Trickle Down and benefit Trumpers!

Ok, it's not, it' never has, and it never will. Reagan told them that, too... and ended up raising the voter's taxes 11 times to make up for shortfall.

#16 | Posted by Corky at 2025-01-10 05:58 PM

@#13 ... Unlike liberals/dems, Musk is capable of reevaluating and changing course. ...

I wouldn't say "unlike liberal/dems," especially since the GOP has criticized the Democrats for doing exactly that, except the GOP at the time called it ~being weak.~

That aside...

The earlier statements by Mr Musk seemed more like an unsubstantiated campaign promise which many in the GOP not only bought into as reality, but also castigated those who dared to critique the likelihood of it happening.


#17 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-01-10 06:12 PM

The guy underestimated the water usage required by his factories in dry Texas... by 10x the amount. Efficiency genius

#18 | Posted by hamburglar at 2025-01-11 10:10 AM

I think if we try for $2 trillion, we've got a good shot at getting one

Typical Elonia, over-promise and under-deliver.

This is why I won't buy Tesla stock. Everything is hype.

#19 | Posted by horstngraben at 2025-01-11 11:45 AM

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