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Musk’s departure from the DOGE follows his public expression of disappointment with the US administration’s legislative agenda, specifically a bill dubbed the “big beautiful bill”.
Reports suggest that Donald Trump has acknowledged Elon Musk’s diminishing role, telling his inner circle that he would be stepping back from his advisory position. (Image Credit: Reuters)
As billionaire Elon Musk quits the US administration, President Donald Trump announced that he’ll hold a “press conference“ with Musk in the Oval Office on Friday (EST) to mark his last day in the administration.
Trump stated that Musk will depart on Friday, “but not really, because he will always be with us, helping all the way.”
In a post on Truth Social, the US President said, “I am having a Press Conference tomorrow at 1:30 P.M. EST, with Elon Musk, at the Oval Office. This will be his last day, but not really, because he will always be with us, helping all the way. Elon is terrific! See you tomorrow at the White House.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Musk used his social media platform X to thank President Trump as his tenure as a special government employee with the Department of Government Efficiency concludes.
Musk’s appointment as a “special government employee” allowed him to work for the government for 130 days a year. Starting from Donald Trump’s inauguration on 20 January this year, Musk’s term would naturally end by the end of May.
Expressing gratitude to Trump for the chance to reduce wasteful spending, Musk voiced optimism for the agency’s future, stating that cost-cutting would become “a way of life throughout government.”
“As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,” he wrote on X, adding that the agency would “only strengthen over time.”
Musk’s departure from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) follows his public disappointment with the Trump administration’s legislative agenda, particularly a bill referred to as the “big beautiful bill.”
This bill combines tax cuts with stricter immigration enforcement, which Musk criticised as a “massive spending bill” that could increase the federal deficit and hinder DOGE’s efforts.
“I think a bill can be big or it could be beautiful,” Musk said, adding, “But I don’t know if it could be both.”
In response to Musk’s criticism, Trump defended the bill, saying, “I’m not happy about certain aspects of it, but I’m thrilled by other aspects of it.”
The exact reason for Musk’s departure remains unclear, but mounting pressure from various sources seems to have contributed. SpaceX has experienced a series of unsuccessful launches, while Tesla shareholders have urged Musk to dedicate more time to the company.
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