Tesla Inc. (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk is having one of those "what if" moments, and it involves his time working with the Department of Government Efficiency. Given the choice again, he'd apparently pass on the whole thing and just stick to running his companies.

Second Thoughts on Government Work

During a Tuesday interview with Katie Miller, Musk was asked whether he'd do the DOGE stint over again if given the chance. His answer was pretty straightforward: "I think instead of building DOGE, I would've worked at my companies essentially." The billionaire seemed to express some regret about the decision, noting that protesters "wouldn't have been burning the cars" if he'd stayed focused on his businesses.

It's a revealing comment that suggests Musk views his government efficiency project as a distraction that may have cost him more than it was worth, especially when Tesla vehicles became targets during his absence from day-to-day operations.

Patching Things Up With Trump

The timing of these comments is interesting, coming as relations between Musk and President Donald Trump appear to have warmed up considerably. Trump recently praised Musk for his contributions during the presidential election campaign, and made it clear the Tesla CEO is back in his good graces.

Donald Trump Jr. also jumped into the love fest, calling Musk a "genius" and a "generational talent" during a public appearance. He specifically highlighted Musk's work with Twitter, now rebranded as X, as evidence of the billionaire's capabilities.

Tesla's Robot Problem and Truck Win

While Musk reflects on his government detour, Tesla is dealing with some interesting developments. A video making the rounds on social media shows an Optimus humanoid robot making a gesture like it's removing a headset—except the robot wasn't wearing one. The odd behavior has people questioning just how autonomous these robots really are.

On a more positive note, Tesla delivered its first Semi truck to DHL, the German logistics giant. The company announced plans to expand the Semi lineup next year, with the updated truck featuring a new design and improved load-carrying capacity. It's a milestone that shows Tesla's commercial vehicle ambitions are moving forward, even if the timeline has been, well, Tesla-style flexible.

SpaceX IPO Buzz

In other Musk universe news, SpaceX is reportedly considering going public in 2026, with an eye-popping target valuation of $1.5 trillion. The commercial space company is said to be contemplating an offering worth more than $30 billion. If those numbers hold, it would be one of the largest IPOs in history and finally give public market investors a chance to own a piece of Musk's rocket company.

Price Action: TSLA shares climbed 1.27% to close at $445.17, then edged up another 0.05% in after-hours trading to $445.40, according to market data.