US President Donald Trump on Friday held a joint press conference with Elon Musk at the White House's Oval Office after the tech billionaire stepped down from his role as a 'special government employee'. Musk said he will remain a 'friend and advisor' to the US President.
Musk further stated on Friday that his departure from the White House does not mark the end of DOGE and that much of his cost-cutting team will remain in place and he will continue to give advice to President Donald Trump.
Musk said he was confident that "over time" the Department of Government Efficiency will reach $1 trillion of savings he promised.
Trump hosted a grand Oval Office farewell for his 'first buddy' as the world's richest man ended his turbulent reign as the government's cost cutter-in-chief.
Trump, 78, praised the "terrific" Musk on Thursday and insisted that his influence would continue despite the South African-born tech tycoon returning to his Space X and Tesla companies. "This will be his last day, but not really, because he will, always, be with us, helping all the way," Trump said on his Truth Social network. "Elon is terrific!". Similar sentiments were echoed by US Vice President JD Vance who praised Musk's "incredible" job in an interview with Newsmax and vowed that "the DOGE effort will continue."
Musk's first dramatic appearance in the Oval Office happened in February, when he brought his four-year-old son with him and outshone even the attention-seeking president himself.
At the time, the 53-year-old was nearly inseparable from Trump—constantly by his side on Air Force One, Marine One, at the White House, and at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
Now, however, Musk is departing the Trump administration under a cloud of controversy, having openly expressed his disillusionment with the role and criticized the Republican president’s spending priorities. Tesla shareholders called for him to return to work as sales slumped and protests targeted the electric vehicle maker, while Space X had a series of fiery rocket failures.
Musk quits White House
Elon Musk announced on Wednesday that he would step down from his role in the White House, offering some relief to Tesla investors after a year marked by falling share prices. The decline was partly attributed to backlash over Musk’s public support for Donald Trump and various right-wing parties in Europe.
Musk had been leading the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under Trump’s administration, an initiative aimed at slashing federal spending.
On Tuesday, he voiced criticism of the high cost associated with the Republican tax and budget bills currently progressing through Congress.
He also recently vowed to scale back his political spending, following a year in which he contributed nearly $300 million to Trump’s presidential campaign and other Republican candidates.
(With inputs from agencies)
Musk further stated on Friday that his departure from the White House does not mark the end of DOGE and that much of his cost-cutting team will remain in place and he will continue to give advice to President Donald Trump.
Musk said he was confident that "over time" the Department of Government Efficiency will reach $1 trillion of savings he promised.
Trump hosted a grand Oval Office farewell for his 'first buddy' as the world's richest man ended his turbulent reign as the government's cost cutter-in-chief.
Trump, 78, praised the "terrific" Musk on Thursday and insisted that his influence would continue despite the South African-born tech tycoon returning to his Space X and Tesla companies. "This will be his last day, but not really, because he will, always, be with us, helping all the way," Trump said on his Truth Social network. "Elon is terrific!". Similar sentiments were echoed by US Vice President JD Vance who praised Musk's "incredible" job in an interview with Newsmax and vowed that "the DOGE effort will continue."
Musk's first dramatic appearance in the Oval Office happened in February, when he brought his four-year-old son with him and outshone even the attention-seeking president himself.
At the time, the 53-year-old was nearly inseparable from Trump—constantly by his side on Air Force One, Marine One, at the White House, and at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
Now, however, Musk is departing the Trump administration under a cloud of controversy, having openly expressed his disillusionment with the role and criticized the Republican president’s spending priorities. Tesla shareholders called for him to return to work as sales slumped and protests targeted the electric vehicle maker, while Space X had a series of fiery rocket failures.
Musk quits White House
Elon Musk announced on Wednesday that he would step down from his role in the White House, offering some relief to Tesla investors after a year marked by falling share prices. The decline was partly attributed to backlash over Musk’s public support for Donald Trump and various right-wing parties in Europe.
Musk had been leading the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under Trump’s administration, an initiative aimed at slashing federal spending.
On Tuesday, he voiced criticism of the high cost associated with the Republican tax and budget bills currently progressing through Congress.
He also recently vowed to scale back his political spending, following a year in which he contributed nearly $300 million to Trump’s presidential campaign and other Republican candidates.
(With inputs from agencies)
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