The US President Donald Trump has told his inner circle that billionaire Elon Musk, head of the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), will be stepping down from his position in the coming weeks.
Politico writes about this, citing sources.
According to three anonymous sources, Trump is pleased with Musk’s work and his DOGE initiative. But in recent days, they have decided that it will soon be time for Musk to return to his business.
Some in the US administration and US allies outside the White House have criticized Musk for his unpredictability and see him as a “political problem”. According to one senior US administration official, Musk will likely retain informal advisor status and occasionally appear on the White House grounds. Another official warns that anyone who thinks Musk will completely disappear from Trump’s sight is “deceiving themselves”.
Politico sources suggest that Musk will step down when his term as a “special civil servant” expires. This status is valid for only 130 days. In Musk’s case, it will end in late May or early June 2025.
Muskʼs defenders in the US presidential administration believe that now is the right time for change. They believe that Musk has already done everything he can to reduce the costs of government agencies, and further cuts could harm their work.
However, many others consider Musk to be an uncontrollable and unpredictable player. He has poorly coordinated his actions with ministers and the White House apparatus. His often unexpected statements on the social network X — in particular, untested plans for a radical reduction of government agencies — have caused panic and confusion in the Trump team.
Trump informed that Muskʼs planned departure from the administration on March 24, at a meeting of his Cabinet. After that, he invited journalists into the room and praised Muskʼs work.
A few days later, on Fox News, Musk was asked if he was ready to leave after his term as a “special civil servant”. Musk effectively declared that his department’s mission was accomplished:
"I think weʼll get the major work done on reducing the deficit by a trillion dollars in this timeframe."
And on the evening of April 1, Trump told reporters:
"At some point, Elon will want to come back to his company. He wants to. I would keep him as long as possible."
- After Donald Trump became president of the United States, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was launched in Washington, D.C., under the leadership of billionaire Elon Musk. This structure is supposed to increase the efficiency of the American government in a year and a half.
- As part of the governmentʼs spending cuts, the US government has, among other things, suspended aid programs to other countries, offered federal officials the opportunity to resign and receive compensation. The US also decided to cut the staff of the Department of Education by almost half, and the US Central Intelligence Agency began laying off recently hired employees.
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