Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under the Trump administration, criticized U.S. private universities’ propaganda efforts and suggested that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un could learn from them.
According to Fox News, Musk attended a luncheon on Tuesday with approximately 40 Republican senators. When Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) inquired about federal funding for private universities, Musk responded, “Kim Jong Un has a lot to learn from elite universities.”
This remark implies that some propaganda activities occurring in certain U.S. private universities are at a level even North Korea might find instructive.
Senator Britt raised the issue of funding for private universities due to the spread of anti-Semitic and illegal protests on some campuses, particularly following the expansion of anti-war protests centered around Gaza in 2024.
President Donald Trump also warned on his social media platform, Truth Social, that “Agitators will be imprisoned/or permanently sent back to the country from which they came. American students will be permanently expelled or, depending on on [sic] the crime, arrested. NO MASKS! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
Meanwhile, during the luncheon, Musk claimed that DOGE’s efforts are saving the U.S. approximately $4 million per day.
When asked about the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Musk stated that it should be abolished, receiving strong support. Fox News explained that Republicans have long opposed NEPA, as environmental activist groups use it to block infrastructure and energy projects.