Jared Polis Says DOGE is 'tearing down the old without necessarily having a more efficient way of doing it'
The often contrarian Democratic governor remarked on the potential for increased efficiency in government operations — however, he noted that Elon Musk’s DOGE is undermining these efforts.
TroibNews 
Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis supports efforts to "make government more efficient" but has reservations about how the federal government is pursuing this goal.
During PMG's Governors Summit on Thursday, Polis expressed his criticisms of the new Trump administration, joining a chorus of Democratic governors nationwide who are open to collaboration with President Donald Trump while not shying away from critique in his initial weeks back in office.
Polis has occasionally taken contrarian positions within his party, such as supporting Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. He acknowledged some alignment with the administration's initiatives to root out “waste at federal agencies” and suggested that states could learn from federal attempts to address this issue. However, he argued that the current strategies employed by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency may not yield the best results. Instead, he proposed a focus on “zero-based budgeting.”
“What is it that we need to accomplish with this agency? A, do we even need to accomplish it anymore, or is it counterproductive? B, if we do need to accomplish it: pretend it doesn't exist — how do you create the most efficient possible system to do that for the least money, and to do it the best way from the ground up? And then kind of juxtapose and replace the old with the new,” he said. “The way that they seem to be doing it is just sort of tearing down the old without necessarily having a more efficient way of doing it.”
In his role as chair of the bipartisan National Governors Association, which he took on last year, Polis has worked to repeal over 200 outdated state executive orders and aims to eliminate “unnecessary rules and regulations” in Colorado. He emphasized that federal efforts to simplify “compliance in certain areas” could enhance states’ endeavors to improve government efficiency.
“We literally have employees that just sit there to comply with federal requirements, so I'd love to find a way where if they make the federal requirements easier, we can then downsize the state people that are simply filing federal paperwork as their entire jobs,” he said.
Polis also addressed other areas where the Trump administration might consider different approaches, including tariffs, which he labeled a “self-inflicted wound that would raise prices, increase inflation and destroy jobs.”
Known for his vocal presence, especially on social media, Polis endorsed Kennedy for Trump’s HHS position in November, which elicited backlash from some Democrats. He clarified that while he disagrees with Kennedy on “some of the nutty stuff he believes,” he is “obviously pro-vaccine” and expressed excitement over Kennedy potentially shaking up HHS.
“I hope he's not too controlled by Republican special interests, but they need to let him go to really focus on the health of the American people,” Polis said. “I take him at his word. Obviously, I would oppose if he in any way interferes with people's ability to protect themselves from deadly diseases. I would be among the first to criticize that.”
Despite his rising national profile, Polis remains tight-lipped about his future ambitions for 2028. Last year at PMG’s Governors Summit, he didn't dismiss the idea of a presidential run, but when asked about potential aspirations on Thursday, he stated he is “really focused on the job that I have.”
“I don’t have any plans to even think about that,” he asserted. When probed further on whether he was ruling out a presidential bid, Polis replied that it “wasn’t even on the table.”
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
During PMG's Governors Summit on Thursday, Polis expressed his criticisms of the new Trump administration, joining a chorus of Democratic governors nationwide who are open to collaboration with President Donald Trump while not shying away from critique in his initial weeks back in office.
Polis has occasionally taken contrarian positions within his party, such as supporting Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. He acknowledged some alignment with the administration's initiatives to root out “waste at federal agencies” and suggested that states could learn from federal attempts to address this issue. However, he argued that the current strategies employed by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency may not yield the best results. Instead, he proposed a focus on “zero-based budgeting.”
“What is it that we need to accomplish with this agency? A, do we even need to accomplish it anymore, or is it counterproductive? B, if we do need to accomplish it: pretend it doesn't exist — how do you create the most efficient possible system to do that for the least money, and to do it the best way from the ground up? And then kind of juxtapose and replace the old with the new,” he said. “The way that they seem to be doing it is just sort of tearing down the old without necessarily having a more efficient way of doing it.”
In his role as chair of the bipartisan National Governors Association, which he took on last year, Polis has worked to repeal over 200 outdated state executive orders and aims to eliminate “unnecessary rules and regulations” in Colorado. He emphasized that federal efforts to simplify “compliance in certain areas” could enhance states’ endeavors to improve government efficiency.
“We literally have employees that just sit there to comply with federal requirements, so I'd love to find a way where if they make the federal requirements easier, we can then downsize the state people that are simply filing federal paperwork as their entire jobs,” he said.
Polis also addressed other areas where the Trump administration might consider different approaches, including tariffs, which he labeled a “self-inflicted wound that would raise prices, increase inflation and destroy jobs.”
Known for his vocal presence, especially on social media, Polis endorsed Kennedy for Trump’s HHS position in November, which elicited backlash from some Democrats. He clarified that while he disagrees with Kennedy on “some of the nutty stuff he believes,” he is “obviously pro-vaccine” and expressed excitement over Kennedy potentially shaking up HHS.
“I hope he's not too controlled by Republican special interests, but they need to let him go to really focus on the health of the American people,” Polis said. “I take him at his word. Obviously, I would oppose if he in any way interferes with people's ability to protect themselves from deadly diseases. I would be among the first to criticize that.”
Despite his rising national profile, Polis remains tight-lipped about his future ambitions for 2028. Last year at PMG’s Governors Summit, he didn't dismiss the idea of a presidential run, but when asked about potential aspirations on Thursday, he stated he is “really focused on the job that I have.”
“I don’t have any plans to even think about that,” he asserted. When probed further on whether he was ruling out a presidential bid, Polis replied that it “wasn’t even on the table.”
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
