5 Takeaways From Elon Musk’s Wisconsin City Corridor About DOGE and America

Million-dollar checks, questions on sending federal financial savings to taxpayers, and the way forward for the US authorities — all in a day’s dialog for America’s richest man.

On Sunday evening, Elon Musk spoke for roughly 100 minutes at a city corridor in Inexperienced Bay, Wisconsin, as he endorsed conservative choose Brad Schimel within the state’s upcoming Supreme Court docket election.

The session advanced right into a freewheeling dialogue on Musk’s ideas about the way forward for the US and the Division of Authorities Effectivity, or DOGE, as he fielded questions from supporters and bashed Democratic leaders.

Musk mentioned little about concrete plans for DOGE, however gave Individuals an additional glimpse at what he thinks must be reduce.

Listed below are the highest 5 takeaways from Musk’s city corridor.

Musk gave two attendees $1 million for his or her help

Musk, who began the occasion carrying a cheesehead hat, kicked off the speak by handing big $1 million checks to 2 supporters.

These checks have been controversial. Musk had initially provided Wisconsin voters $100 every to signal a petition opposing “activist judges.” That will additionally give them entry to a lottery for $1 million.

However this was more likely to violate state legal guidelines, and Musk later mentioned the cost would as a substitute be compensation for the winners to be spokespersons for the occasion.

Wisconsin’s Democratic lawyer basic, Josh Kaul, tried to dam the $1 million giveaway, however the state’s Supreme Court docket declined on Sunday to listen to his case.

The high-profile payouts underscore the eye being heaped on the judicial election, which is about for April 1.

Wisconsin’s Supreme Court docket has a 4-3 liberal majority, and certainly one of its left-leaning judges, Ann Walsh Bradley, is about to retire — paving the way in which for a recontest of the state’s ideological future. The vote can also be being hyped as a litmus take a look at for sentiment on the Trump administration’s actions in the previous couple of months.

At his Sunday occasion, Musk mentioned the election would decide points like Wisconsin’s voter ID necessities within the 2026 Home elections. He mentioned this might, in flip, assist decide who positive factors management of Congress and “steer the course of Western civilization.”

“I really feel like that is a kind of issues that will not appear that it may have an effect on your entire future of humanity, however I feel it would,” he mentioned of the April 1 vote.

The Fed vs a Magic 8 Ball

Musk started answering questions from supporters, throughout which he dropped hints about his areas of concern for DOGE.

“I feel there’s like 20,000 individuals working on the Fed? It appears fairly excessive,” he mentioned. The Federal Reserve mentioned it budgeted payroll for twenty-four,553 workers in 2024.

Musk questioned the roles of these workers.

“What do they do? And, , typically I’m wondering which one would win for federal rates of interest. The Board of the Federal Reserve, or a magic eight-ball?” he mentioned.

“I feel the Magic 8 ball would possibly win, , so then I am like, Magic 8 ball is loads cheaper,” he added. That comparability was the topic of a ballot he posted on X in November, by which X customers voted overwhelmingly for the magic eight-ball.

The billionaire additionally took intention at education, saying the US had too few lecturers whereas having too many directors. Federal knowledge exhibits greater than 302,000 individuals had been employed as college directors for kindergarten to highschool in Could 2023, together with 3.8 million lecturers.

Antonio Gracias, a personal fairness govt concerned with DOGE, went onstage and led a presentation criticizing the way in which social providers and Medicaid had been disbursed to migrants getting into the US illegally.

One supporter, who mentioned he labored for the US Postal Service, requested Musk if DOGE would look into his employer.

The billionaire did not seem to have a lot of a plan to share — he requested the postal employee for concepts — however raised considerations about pricing for industries that depend on large-volume native transport.

“Some corporations aren’t being charged the correct quantity for package deal supply, and there is most likely extra administrative overhead than there must be, can be some protected guesses, I would wager,” Musk mentioned.

He likes the federal government construction of 1776

Musk mentioned his preferrred model of the federal authorities can be reduce down to simply the president, lawyer basic, secretary of state, secretary of protection or conflict, and the secretary of the treasury — like George Washington’s cupboard in 1776.

“If it had been completely as much as me, I would be like: ‘Let’s make it like that once more,'” Musk mentioned to applause from the viewers.

The hit to Tesla: ‘It is costing me loads to be on this job’

Musk acknowledged the stoop in his internet price, a lot of which has come from Tesla’s inventory worth slipping from highs of practically $480 in December to about $263 now.

Musk has misplaced about $103 billion because the begin of 2025, Bloomberg’s Billionaire Index exhibits. He’s nonetheless $116 billion forward of Jeff Bezos, who’s listed because the world’s second-richest man.

Musk mentioned he is conscious that his time spent with DOGE may very well be responsible.

“In actual fact, it is costing loads for me to be on this job,” he mentioned.

“You already know, my Tesla inventory and the inventory of everybody who holds Tesla inventory went roughly in half,” he mentioned, including that his function in DOGE was a “very costly job.”

Musk mentioned he is not certified to return DOGE’s financial savings to taxpayers

One younger supporter requested Musk if he would contemplate sending checks to taxpayers out of the financial savings that DOGE finds, and when he would possibly distribute these checks.

His reply: It is as much as Congress or President Donald Trump.

“Effectively, I assume we might must be profitable at scale,” he mentioned. “We have made lots of progress, however there’s nonetheless an amazing quantity of labor we have to do.”

Musk mentioned his work at DOGE would profit American taxpayers in different methods, like lowering inflation or boosting the financial system.

“A method or one other, you’ll successfully be higher off,” he mentioned.