'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAf/xAAfEAACAgEEAwAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMEAAYREiEiIzH/xAAVAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAv/EABcRAQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAAhL/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AJVS0VVl0JZnSahJIsoL2vYHTizBgo4dggqe8mViNI55Ej80ViFYjbcA/dsYw5Ct1f/Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Elon Musk thought he could bring his no-nonsense mindset to Washington. But according to Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary, politics doesn’t work like that, and Musk found out the hard way.
In a new CNN interview, O’Leary backed Musk’s efforts, saying he was just trying to save money for taxpayers. But instead, Musk ran into what O’Leary calls a “very nasty” political system.
“Washington is a very nasty place,”
O’Leary said,
“The closer you get to the sun, the more your feathers get burned,” he said, pointing to how harsh D.C. can be.
From his point of view, Musk’s ideas weren’t the problem; it was the system.
Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary says Musk was upfront
O’Leary didn’t think Musk was hiding anything:
“He said he could save money for the taxpayer, that should be a bipartisan activity.”
O’Leary liked that Musk brought in a fresh idea, constantly checking government spending.
“I thought he brought forward into the taxpayer’s psyche a new idea… which I find extremely interesting because no one’s ever done it quite that way.”
From a Shark Tank perspective, Musk acted like a smart entrepreneur. He spotted a problem and offered a fix.
“At the end of the day taxpayers would like to save money, period,” O’Leary said.
Whether or not people liked Musk’s style, O’Leary felt the idea made sense, and that should matter more.
Washington is a tough place to change things
According to O’Leary, politics is a lot harder than it looks. He compared it to flying too close to the sun.
“That’s for everybody. He found out the hard way.”
O’Leary understands the struggle:
“I’ve only started going to Washington for the last three years and realized how tough it is.”
He still credited Musk for trying and said he did a masterful job, even though some people didn’t like how fast Musk moved or handled things.
Musk’s speed upset people, but the goal was smart
O’Leary admitted that Musk’s style rubbed some people the wrong way.
“Lots were offended by the speed at which he went at it or maybe the way he implemented it.”
Still, O’Leary believes the message was more important than the method.
The more you think about what he did, the more you should applaud it.”
For O’Leary, this wasn’t about politics. It was about money. And saving money should be something both sides can agree on.
This is classic Shark Tank thinking: move fast and focus on results.
The real problem isn’t Musk, it’s the system
When asked what really got in Musk’s way, his methods or the government itself, O’Leary said the issue was clear:
“Yes, I believe that to be correct,” he said about the system being the problem.
“You can’t just mandate, save a billion here, save a billion there,” he explained.
“You have to actually go through the system and that’s where the system grinds you down.”
He pointed out that the government has three major parts: the executive branch, Congress, and the courts. To bring about changes, you need all three.
That’s where good ideas can get stuck, and why, in O’Leary’s view, it’s so hard to get anything done. Even on Shark Tank, deals don’t close without everyone’s approval.
Power in Washington is limited, even for big names
O’Leary also explained that working in Washington means giving up a lot of control.
“As an employee for 130 days, you wield no power.”
Even the President doesn’t get to make big decisions alone.
“The only power you have is given to you by the executive… but even he can’t jam it through Congress.”
Musk had ideas, but he didn’t have the power to make them happen. And that’s the lesson here: good plans don’t mean much if you can’t make them stick.
Still, O’Leary thinks the idea itself was solid.
“At the end of the day is it a good idea? Of course it is.”
Everyone wants to save money: That's the Shark Tank approach
In the end, O’Leary said it best:
“It doesn’t matter if you’re red or blue, who doesn’t want to save money?”
Trending
That simple idea is what makes Shark Tank tick. The show is about smart people trying to do more with less. So it makes sense that O’Leary would support a plan to cut government waste.
Whether Musk’s effort succeeded or not, O’Leary is sticking to his core belief: saving money is always worth it.
Reply
