President Donald Trump bid farewell to Elon Musk within the Oval Office on Friday (May 31, 2025), offering a cordial conclusion to a tumultuous tenure for the billionaire entrepreneur.
Mr. Musk is leaving his place spearheading the Department of Government Efficiency, and he’ll be rededicating himself to operating his companies, together with electrical automaker Tesla, rocket firm SpaceX and social media platform X.
Mr. Trump credited Mr. Musk with “a colossal change within the outdated methods of doing enterprise in Washington” and said some of his staff would remain in the administration. Mr. Musk, who wore all black, including a T-shirt that said “The Dogefather,” nodded along as the President listed contracts that had been cut under his watch.
“I think the DOGE team is doing an incredible job,” Mr. Musk mentioned after accepting a ceremonial key from the president. “They’re going to continue to be doing an incredible job.”
He left a searing mark on the federal bureaucracy, including thousands of employees who were fired or pushed out. Some government functions were eviscerated, such as the U.S. Agency for International Development, which had provided a lifeline for impoverished people around the world. Boston University researchers estimate that hundreds of thousands of people have already died as a result of the USAID cuts.
Despite the upheaval, Mr. Musk also fell far short of his goals. After promising to cut $1 trillion or even $2 trillion in federal spending, he lowered expectations to only $150 billion in the current fiscal year.
It’s unclear whether or not that focus on has been hit. The DOGE web site tallies $175 billion in financial savings, however its data has been riddled with errors and elaborations.
Mr. Trump mentioned Mr. Musk had led the “most sweeping and consequential government reform effort in generations.” He suggested that Mr. Musk is “really not leaving” and “he’s going to be back and forth” to maintain tabs on what’s occurring within the administration.
Mr. Musk had a bruise subsequent to his proper eye within the Oval Office, which he defined by saying he had been “horsing around” with his younger son.
“I said, go ahead punch me in the face,” he said. “And he did.”
Mr. Musk, the world’s richest individual, lately mentioned he would cut back his political donations. He was Mr. Trump’s high donor in final yr’s presidential marketing campaign.
Mr. Trump appeared keen to finish Musk’s service on a excessive word.
“This shall be his final day, however probably not, as a result of he’ll, all the time, be with us, serving to all the best way,” Mr. Trump wrote on social media on Thursday (May 29, 2025) evening. “Elon is terrific!”
As a special government employee, Mr. Musk’s position was designed to be temporary. However, he had speculated about staying “indefinitely,” working part time for the administration, if Mr. Trump still wanted his help.
Mr. Musk has brushed off questions about how DOGE would continue without him, even suggesting it could “gain momentum” in the future.
“DOGE is a way of life,” he told reporters recently. “Like Buddhism.”
Published – May 31, 2025 12:52 am IST
