Elon Musk leaves Washington with a black eye and a golden key.
Mr. Elon Musk never came close to meeting his goal of reducing the federal budget by $1 trillion, and he claims he will spend more time with his private businesses.
Following one of the most turbulent trials in contemporary American government, in which the world’s wealthiest man was given free reign to reduce the federal workforce, President Trump officially bid Elon Musk farewell on Friday.
After about four months at the helm of the Department of Government Efficiency, Mr. Musk had a battered image and a literal black eye, which he attributed to his five-year-old son hitting him in the face.
Mr. Musk stated that now that his term as a “special government employee” has ended, he would concentrate on his business ventures. Mr. Musk’s $1 trillion in promised savings has not even been approached by DOGE, but in recent months he has reaped considerable personal gain, such as having his friends picked to lead NASA and the Air Force, two important clients for his SpaceX enterprise.
Mr. Trump complimented Mr. Musk in the Oval Office on Friday, calling him “one of the greatest business leaders and innovators the world has ever produced,” and said that Mr. Musk would keep providing the administration with advice on cost reductions.
“The DOGE team will only get stronger with time,” stated Mr. Musk.
Mr. Musk’s career in Washington started with a deep well of backing from Republican legislators and allies who were enthusiastic about helping him eradicate waste, fraud, and abuse in the government. It all came to a close during a friendly press conference with Mr. Trump and Mr. Musk, where Mr. Musk was mostly on the sidelines.
Despite the fact that the two men had grown increasingly distant over the past few months, Mr. Trump made a big effort on Friday to demonstrate that there was no hostility between them.
Mr. Trump handed Elon a gold key with the White House emblem and stated, “In modern history, Elon’s service to America has been unparalleled.”
Mr. Musk made an effort to walk a tight line between publicly expressing his support for Mr. Trump—he previously indicated this year that he would continue to offer financial support for the president—and assuring concerned investors that he would now concentrate on his private enterprises. He stated that he intended to remain the president’s “friend and adviser.”
Over the course of his personal life, Mr. Musk has come under more and more examination, particularly for his drug usage and his rocky relationships with the mothers of his several kids. The New York Times published a new article on Friday about Mr. Musk’s drug usage while running for office, which he dismissed.
The event was promoted as a farewell party for Mr. Musk, but it soon became a news conference where Mr. Trump responded to queries that were unrelated to DOGE. The question of whether he offered President Emmanuel Macron of France marital advice following a video that seemed to show his wife pushing him in the face was one of the topics covered. (Make sure the door remains closed.”) Mr. Trump was also asked if he would think about pardoning Sean Combs. (He said he hadn’t given it much thought.)
Due to the statutory limit of 130 days for “special government employees,” Mr. Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, announced his departure from the administration.
“I simply want to express my gratitude to Elon for his service as a special government employee,” Mr. Trump said. “Can you imagine? He’s a unique government worker who came and helped us, and he has truly changed the way a lot of people think. We refer to him as an employee.
In response, Mr. Musk applauded the president while sporting a black t-shirt with the words “The Dogefather” on it.
“Due to the president, the Oval Office now has the grandeur it deserves,” he said, in awe of the gold that now adorns the space.
Following his investment of hundreds of millions of dollars to support Mr. Trump’s election, Mr. Musk placed himself in the center of Mr. Trump’s inner circle. From his position as the head of DOGE, the president granted him a great deal of leeway in reducing government programs, and he rose to prominence by joining Mr. Trump on Air Force One, attending meetings with foreign leaders, and taking part in shared interviews.
However, Mr. Musk also had heated disputes with several of Mr. Trump’s cabinet members and other top White House advisors. Because he was willing to use X to target his opponents, he instilled dread in Washington and argued with cabinet officers about budget and staffing choices. In addition to infuriating government officials, including Trump, Mr. Musk attempted to get a private briefing on China at the Pentagon, which the president was only made aware of through a Times article.
The prospect of reforming the administration, as Mr. Musk pledged to do, has, in his words, left him disheartened by his departure from Washington.
When asked about the greatest challenge to his team’s success, he responded, “It’s simply a lot of work sifting through the massive expenditures of the federal government.”
Mr. Musk boasted just a few weeks ago that it was simple to “in an hour” save billions of dollars.
Although Mr. Musk’s DOGE crew has consistently exaggerated its cost-saving initiatives, the impact of the mass layoffs and program reductions has still been significant. Many departments and programs have been almost completely destroyed.
The list that Mr. Trump gave seemed designed to appeal to conservatives, as he mentioned some of the initiatives that Mr. Musk’s team had identified for removal. He cited reductions to the Department of Education-funded D.E.I. initiatives and lodging for migrants in New York City.
On several important topics, Mr. Musk has recently distanced himself from Mr. Trump. He expressed his displeasure with Trump’s broad tariffs on all key trade partners, and this week, he said he was “disappointed” with the domestic policy measure that the president supported. He disagreed with the president and his top advisors by claiming that the measure would exacerbate the budget imbalance. Friday, Mr. Trump lauded the measure and urged Congress to vote on it soon.
Mr. Musk stated that he will now concentrate more of his time on his private enterprises.
However, Mr. Musk made it plain on Friday that he is not totally breaking away from Mr. Trump’s circle. This year, he informed Mr. Trump’s advisors that prior to the midterm elections of 2026, he would donate $100 million to political organizations under the president’s team’s control. People familiar with the situation said the money hadn’t arrived as of this week.
