At one point in the discussion, Rogan and Musk delved into the contentious issue of congressional stock trading. Numerous lawmakers, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), have significantly outperformed the S&P 500 by engaging in stock trades while possessing insider information related to their committee responsibilities. Additionally, lawmakers have the capacity to draft legislation that could benefit their investment portfolios, prompting bipartisan calls for a prohibition on congressional stock trading.
“It’s more than just insider trading. The insider trading aspect, such as stock portfolios, is relatively easy to track, but there’s… it’s much more than that,” Musk stated. Rogan then inquired for further details, asking Musk to specify other strategies lawmakers employ to accumulate wealth.
“I mean, this is really going to get me assassinated. I’m not extending my lifespan by discussing this, to say the least,” Musk responded with a chuckle. “I was supposed to return to DC; how am I going to survive?”
Musk elaborated, “In fact, I believe I need to be cautious about how aggressively I address the corruption issue because, honestly, I was contemplating this during my flight here. If I push too hard on the corruption narrative, it could lead to desperate reactions from people.”
The CEO of X, SpaceX, and Tesla proceeded to recount various threats to his life over the years, noting a significant increase in such threats since he became a vocal supporter of President Trump. “Prior to the wave of propaganda, the likelihood of any given individual with harmful intentions attempting to harm you correlates with how frequently they hear your name. And since they have heard my name frequently, the risk has escalated.”
Musk’s team has been performing audits across numerous federal agencies and departments, including the Department of Defense. So far, the team has proposed over $150 billion in budget reductions, primarily targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, as well as the promotion of left-leaning social ideologies abroad.
Additionally, DOGE has suggested substantial reductions to the IRS, the Department of Education, and several other agencies, resulting in the layoff of thousands of federal employees.
Although DOGE does not possess legislative authority, the U.S. House of Representatives recently approved a budget resolution that will permit nearly one trillion dollars in budget cuts. It is anticipated that much of this framework will be implemented following negotiations among the leaders of pertinent committees in both the House and Senate. While the Republican-controlled Senate has passed its own version, President Trump has expressed support for the House resolution.
Lawmakers are expected to incorporate many of DOGE’s proposed cuts into law once the agreement is finalized.
