Elon Musk and Joe Rogan Agree the U.S. Must Stop Spending Money It Doesn’t Have
Elon Musk and Joe Rogan recently shared a conversation on The Joe Rogan Experience, where both agreed that the U.S. needs to stop spending money it doesn’t have. Musk, the founder of SpaceX and Tesla, who is also heading up President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), emphasized the need for fiscal responsibility.
“We really need to stop spending money unless we’re sure it’s good value,” Musk stated during the interview. Rogan added, “So essentially, we’re like a poorly managed business with an unlimited credit line that is off the rails.” Musk agreed wholeheartedly, saying, “Absolutely.”
Musk’s recent email asking federal employees to list their five major accomplishments for the week had stirred controversy, dominating news cycles and podcasts. The email is part of his broader efforts to impose stricter accountability and efficiency on government operations.
Rogan, who is not affiliated with any political party, praised Musk for his approach, comparing it to his success in turning businesses around. “And if you were a person like you are who comes in and takes over businesses and straightens them out, that’s exactly what you’re doing,” Rogan said.
Drawing comparisons between Musk’s work with DOGE and his involvement in transforming X (formerly Twitter), Rogan remarked on Musk’s knack for restructuring companies. Musk reflected on his acquisition of X, saying, “I mean, most of the time, I create businesses from scratch. Like Twitter was a case where, you know, I kind of bought a company that I kind of knew was a hair pull.”
Musk also took credit for Tesla’s rise, noting, “Tesla did not exist in any meaningful form. There were no employees. J.B. Straubel joined three other people, but there was no car, there was nothing.”
Despite the challenges he faces with DOGE, Musk didn’t shy away from admitting the enormity of the task. “As bad as Twitter was, the federal government is much worse,” Musk said. “The federal government is not break-even, it’s literally losing $2 trillion a year, and it does not pass its audits. It fails its own audits.”
Both Musk and Rogan are calling for a more responsible and accountable approach to government spending, underscoring the need for significant reform in how the U.S. handles its finances.