Elon Musk might soon be leaving Washington, but he says DOGE needs to be a long-term project. Musk insisted in a TV interview that the project to slash government spending and eliminate entire agencies ought to endure amid signs that he may soon step away from the effort and return to his struggling electric car company.

The billionaire Tesla CEO discussed in a White House interview a wide-ranging set topics including reflecting on the last few months in Washington.

Elon Musk recently said he'd take a step back at DOGE to focus more on Tesla, which reported disappointing Q1 earnings amid several difficult months.