Elon Musk, the head of Tesla and SpaceX, is officially stepping away from his position in the Trump administration after a brief stint as the leader of the DOGE program (Department of Government Efficiency). Nevertheless, American President Donald Trump reassured everyone that Musk will frequently be seen at the White House.
“Elon isn’t really going anywhere,” declared Trump at a press briefing held in the Oval Office, where Musk, sporting a DOGE cap and a “The Dogefather” t-shirt, stood by his side. “He’ll be around, coming and going,” the president added with a confident smile.
Trump continued, “Elon has worked tirelessly, contributing to the most significant government reform in generations.” His words underscored Musk’s impactful tenure in the government.
Initially, the White House and senior aides maintained that Musk, known as the wealthiest man in the world, was a crucial figure not leaving anytime soon. Yet recently, they’ve pointed out the natural conclusion of his special 130-day government employment term, which was set to wrap up around the end of May.
Musk announced his intent to focus more on his business empire, which includes companies like Tesla and SpaceX. This decision came after some investors raised concerns about the time and attention the DOGE project was demanding from him.
Additionally, Musk mentioned plans to cut back on political spending, having already invested nearly 300 million dollars in support of Trump’s presidential campaign and other Republican efforts in 2024.
Under Musk’s leadership, the DOGE program promised to slash over 2 trillion dollars from federal spending. However, according to DOGE estimates, savings amounted to approximately 175 billion dollars, with official data indicating less than half of this amount.
The U.S. Treasury documents reviewed by Reuters show that agencies targeted by DOGE reduced expenditures by only 19 billion dollars compared to the same period last year—a mere 0.5% of total federal spending.
“This isn’t the end of DOGE, just the beginning,” Musk stated optimistically, expressing his belief that the program would yield even more significant financial savings in the future.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on Elon’s departure and what you think the future holds for DOGE. Share your opinions and join the conversation below!
