DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — During a recent videocall at the World Governments Summit, Elon Musk made a controversial proposal, suggesting that the U.S. should “delete entire agencies” from its federal government. This call is part of his broader strategy, which he discussed while highlighting priorities of the Trump administration and expressing concerns surrounding topics such as “thermonuclear warfare” and the potential risks associated with artificial intelligence.
Musk, clad in a black T-shirt emblazoned with “Tech Support,” articulated his belief that the bureaucracy currently dominates the political landscape at the expense of democracy. He humorously referred to himself as the “White House’s tech support,” leveraging his persona on the platform X, which he owns. Musk emphasized the need for significant agency reductions, cautioning, “If we don’t remove the roots of the weed, then it’s easy for the weed to grow back.”
His address was particularly notable given his recent consolidation of power under Trump, as he now leads the Department of Government Efficiency. In this role, Musk has been instrumental in sidelining established officials, accessing sensitive government databases, and initiating a debate over the extent of presidential authority.
Musk’s comments also reflected a more isolationist outlook on American involvement in the Middle East, particularly in light of the U.S. military engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan since the 9/11 attacks. He referenced the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development under Trump’s administration, questioning its effectiveness. “How much democracy have they achieved lately?” he asked, expressing skepticism regarding America’s traditional diplomatic efforts.
He advocated for a more restrained U.S. approach to foreign affairs as he suggested that America should refrain from interfering with other nations’ governance, commenting, “Basically, America should mind its own business, rather than push for regime change all over the place.” This stance resonated in the context of his audience in the UAE, a state that operates under an authoritarian regime.
Musk also discussed the Trump administration’s aim to eliminate initiatives focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), linking this effort to developments in artificial intelligence. He warned that if AI were intentionally engineered with a DEI focus, it could lead to harmful outcomes by disproportionately targeting certain demographics.
Regarding AI, Musk expressed confidence about the upcoming introduction of X’s chatbot, Grok 3, anticipated to be launched within two weeks. He noted that its features might be unsettling at times. He criticized the current management of OpenAI by Sam Altman, likening it to an environmental nonprofit morphing into a profit-driven entity, as he recently made a multibillion-dollar bid to acquire the company.
In another significant announcement, Musk outlined the plans for a new transit project known as the “Dubai Loop,” developed by the Boring Company, which is already engaged in tunneling operations in Las Vegas. The crown prince of Dubai, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, mentioned that they would collaborate on the proposed 17-kilometer underground network featuring 11 stations capable of accommodating over 20,000 passengers per hour. Financial details regarding the initiative were not disclosed.
Musk described the system enthusiastically, saying, “It’s going to be like a wormhole. You just wormhole from one part of the city — boom — and you’re out in another part of the city.”
