AI & Robots vs. Tariffs: Musk Doubles Down on His Plan to Tackle $40 Trillion National Debt

The U.S. national debt topped $40 trillion for the first time this year, a level that keeps rising under President Donald Trump. Previously tasked with cutting government spending, Elon Musk has some thoughts on what should be done about the rising debt.

Elon Musk on National Debt

Musk served under President Trump as a member of the Department of Government Efficiency, a role that saw the billionaire find and cut government waste before leaving the role.

In a new interview with author Walter Isaacson, Musk says there was no way DOGE was going to solve the deficit during their time.

Musk said this would have only been remotely accomplishable if the president made government spending his primary goal.

Instead, cutting waste led to enemies for Trump, something he didn’t enjoy, according to Musk. The billionaire said Trump likes to be liked.

Musk said that it’s not just Trump, it’s the presidency, House and judicial units of the government that don’t have the appetite to fully fix the national debt and spending problems.

Calling the national debt "enormous," Musk said the government pays an "astonishing amount of interest," an amount that currently tops government spending annually.

As of the time of writing, the national debt is $40.38 trillion, with interest topping $1.14 trillion so far this year and defense spending coming in at around $983.7 billion year-to-date.

AI and Robots to the Rescue

In the interview with Isaacson, Musk doubled down on a push he made in November 2025.

"The only way we’re going to solve the national debt is with AI and robots," Musk told Isaacson.

Back in November, Musk said the way to tackle the rising debt was through a bull market to be led by AI and robotics, calling it the "only way" forward.

Instead, Trump at the time was pushing for tariffs to be the way to get out of debt, with tariff payments from other countries being said to go towards paying down debt.

Image via Shutterstock/ GoodIdeas