Doubtful that they could move faster with him taking a more active role. Starship could have launched months before, but they have been waiting for FAA approval. It is not Elon's lack of attention holding them back.
The government's environmental assessment was bonkers. They were required to do things like assess the risk of a booster landing on a shark or whale in the middle of the ocean. They were also required to assess if the sound of the rocket would harm the breeding behavior of the seal population. To do this they had to chase down a seal, strap it down to a board with headphones and study if the sound of rocket engine were emotionally distressing to the animal.
Calling him a hype chaser is simply wrong.