Elon Musk has clarified his upcoming departure from the White House, following reports that Donald Trump had privately discussed this move with his close associates.
Politico published a report yesterday (April 2), citing ‘three Trump insiders who were granted anonymity to describe the evolving relationship,’ about the president’s discussions.
The report indicated that Trump informed his ‘inner circle’, including Cabinet members, that Musk would be ‘stepping back’ after contributing to the establishment of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and reducing federal expenditures.
Musk’s governmental role has been unclear, with the White House labeling him a ‘senior adviser’ to Trump in February, though elsewhere he’s been called a ‘special government employee’.
There have been claims suggesting Musk was in charge, and others asserting he had ‘no actual authority to make government decisions’. However, it’s now apparent that Musk likely won’t be in his position indefinitely.
According to insiders speaking with Politico, Trump appreciates Musk’s and DOGE’s contributions, but in ‘recent days,’ both agreed it would soon be time for Musk to step down.
In response to these reports, Musk tweeted that the news was ‘fake’ as he had always intended to leave when his role’s pre-defined time limit was reached.
As a ‘special government employee’, ABC News notes Musk’s governmental role is capped at 130 days, meaning he would conclude his term by late May.
Musk’s tweet was in reply to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who wrote: “This ‘scoop’ is garbage. Elon Musk and President Trump have both *publicly* stated that Elon will depart from public service as a special government employee when his incredible work at DOGE is complete.”
When questioned about the 130-day limit, Trump mentioned that Musk had responsibilities beyond DOGE.
“Well, I think he’s … amazing. But I also think he’s got a big company to run. And so, at some point he’s going to be going back. He wants to,” Trump said.
Despite Musk’s expected exit from DOGE in the near future, a senior administration official told Politico that the SpaceX founder might continue in an informal advisory capacity.