- Musk said Amtrak is “embarrassing” while speaking virtually at a Morgan Stanley conference.
- He said America “should try to privatize everything we possibly can,” including Amtrak and the USPS.
- Trump has flirted with privatizing the USPS in recent months.
On Wednesday, Elon Musk said that both the Post Office and Amtrak should be privatized, calling the state of passenger rail in the US “embarrassing.”
Speaking virtually at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media, and Telecom Conference, Musk said the government “should try to privatize everything we possibly can,” according to audio reviewed by Business Insider.
“I think we should privatize the Post Office and Amtrak, for example,” he said.
He praised China’s trains, saying other countries’ passenger rail systems are “way better” than America’s.
“If you’re coming from another country, please don’t use our national rail,” he said. “It’s going to leave you with a very bad impression of America.”
While Musk did not elaborate on why the USPS should be privatized, President Donald Trump has previously floated privatizing the organization, saying in late February that commerce secretary Howard Lutnick “will be looking” at the organization.
Musk acknowledged during his remarks that privatizing either Amtrak or the USPS would likely require congressional approval, and didn’t expand on any steps to move forward with his vision.
Though Musk is not officially in charge of the White House DOGE office — that title goes to little-known data whiz Amy Gleason — he is seen as its de facto leader. Trump has repeatedly said Musk is in charge of the group, including during his joint address to Congress Tuesday night.
“I have created the brand-new Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE, perhaps you’ve heard of it, which is headed by Elon Musk, who is in the gallery tonight,” Trump said Tuesday. His remarks immediately were flagged as part of an on-going lawsuit involving DOGE.
Musk didn’t claim a leadership position at DOGE when speaking at the Morgan Stanley conference. He referred to himself as “tech support, believe it or not.”
Representatives for DOGE and the White House did not immediately respond to BI’s request for comment.
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