Trump Bids Farewell to Musk: 'He's Not Really Leaving'

Musk's exit marks the end of a controversial chapter with the Department of Government Efficiency aimed at reducing federal waste and spending.

Elon Musk's tenure within the Trump administration concluded during a press conference in the Oval Office, where both he and President Trump addressed the future of the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge). Trump emphasized that Musk is "not really leaving," forecasting Musk's ongoing involvement with the White House. "It's his baby," Trump remarked, underscoring the personal investment Musk had in Doge.

Musk’s departure follows 130 days of service as a "special government employee," the maximum allowed under his role. As an advisory body rather than a traditional government entity, Doge aims to decrease government expenditures, save taxpayer dollars, and ameliorate the national debt, which is currently estimated at a staggering $36 trillion (£28.9 trillion).

His time at Doge has not been without controversy; significant layoffs at federal agencies occurred under his guidance, and many programs at USAID, the foremost US foreign aid body, were eliminated. This prompted protests globally against Musk’s companies, including Tesla, leading to an unprecedented dip in sales.

During the Oval Office briefing, Trump lauded Musk, crediting him with spearheading one of the most significant government reform initiatives in decades. Despite praise, criticisms lingered over the savings reported by Doge; an analysis from BBC indicated that while $175 billion was claimed saved as of late May, only $61.5 billion was itemized, with only partial evidence supporting the total.

Reiterating Musk's essential role, Trump stated, "He's not really leaving. He's going to be back and forth. I think he's going to be doing a lot of things." Musk maintained that Doge will persist in its goal of seeking $1 trillion in cutbacks. In a recent CBS interview, Musk expressed disappointment with Trump’s proposed multi-trillion dollar tax breaks and increased defense budgets, which he believed may conflict with Doge’s goals.

In a moment of levity, as reporters questioned Musk about an alleged eye injury and recent drug-use allegations in the media, Musk quipped humorously, referring to an incident involving his son and denied being involved in any controversies related to drugs.

Trump ended the news conference by expressing a desire for even greater spending cuts, stressing that they could improve government efficiency further. The fate of Doge and Musk's lingering influence on it remains to be seen as both figures continue navigating the political landscape.