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.

Tesla, a big source of Musk’s wealth, bore the brunt of the public anger against him and his policies. Tesla’s stock dropped 33% since inauguration. The EV maker’s sales plummeted.