Elon Musk has urged for the elimination of entire U.S. federal agencies, arguing that bureaucracy has overtaken democracy and that sweeping structural changes are necessary.

Speaking via video call at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, Musk outlined what he described as the priorities of President Donald Trump’s administration, while also raising concerns about artificial intelligence (AI) and global security threats, including the risk of “thermonuclear warfare.”

Wearing a black T-shirt that read “Tech Support”, Musk jokingly referred to himself as the White House’s “tech support”, a nod to his expanding influence within the Trump administration.

“We really have here rule of the bureaucracy as opposed to rule of the people—democracy,” he stated.

He went on to advocate for dismantling entire agencies, rather than just reducing their size.

“I think we do need to delete entire agencies as opposed to leave a lot of them behind,” Musk said. “If we don’t remove the roots of the weed, then it’s easy for the weed to grow back.”

Musk’s remarks come as he has consolidated significant power within Trump’s administration, particularly as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Under his leadership, DOGE has:

• Sidelined career officials
• Gained access to sensitive federal databases
• Played a role in ongoing constitutional debates over presidential authority

His influence has reshaped government operations, fueling concerns about executive overreach and the dismantling of key federal institutions.

Musk’s speech also underscored Trump’s shift in foreign policy, particularly in the Middle East.

He pointed to Trump’s dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and questioned the necessity of institutions like the National Endowment for Democracy.

“Okay, well, how much democracy have they achieved lately?” Musk asked.

He added that the U.S. is becoming “less interested in interfering in other countries’ affairs”, acknowledging that America has at times been “pushy in international affairs.”

His remarks were seemingly tailored to resonate with his audience in the UAE, an autocratically governed nation with a history of limited political freedoms.

The billionaire also weighed in on AI and diversity policies, linking the Trump administration’s rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives to the potential risks of artificial intelligence.

“If hypothetically, AI is designed for DEI—diversity at all costs—it could decide that there are too many men in power and execute them,” Musk warned.

With Musk’s increasing involvement in Trump’s policy agenda, his remarks signal a major ideological shift in government structure, foreign intervention, and technological governance.

His advocacy for eliminating federal agencies, coupled with his warning about AI’s potential dangers, suggests that his role in shaping the future of U.S. governance and global affairs will remain a controversial and closely watched development.