Trump's farewell to Musk's white house role, hinting at future plans
President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he would hold a press conference with beleaguered advisor and billionaire Elon Musk to mark his last day as a special advisor to his administration. 'I am having a Press Conference tomorrow at 1:30 P.M. EST, with Elon Musk, at the Oval Office,' Trump wrote on Truth Social. 'This will be his last day, but not really, because he will, always, be with us, helping all the way.'
Trump made the announcement as Musk conceded he would be stepping away from politics and his work at the White House and pivoting back to his businesses. 'Back to spending 24/7 at work,' wrote on Saturday. 'I must be super focused on X/xAI and Tesla.'
Musk, who was appointed by President Trump as a special government employee in January, is leaving his temporary position as scheduled, as his position was limited to 130 days. His efforts founding the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) earned the wrath of Democrats who protested his attempts to cut the federal workforce and cut government spending. Even some Republicans in Washington, DC were nervous about the political impact of some of his actions.
Musk appeared discouraged by the reception of DOGE, describing it as 'the whipping boy for everything' in Washington, DC. 'The federal bureaucracy situation is much worse than I realized,' he told The Washington Post in an interview. 'I thought there were problems, but it sure is an uphill battle trying to improve things in D.C., to say the least.'
Trump has spent less time amplifying Musk on social media and Musk also has tried to pivot away from politics in recent weeks, but both of the billionaires maintain respect with each other, people familiar with their relationship tell the Daily Mail. Predictions that their friendship would eventually blow up never materialized, although Musk has expressed frustration with his efforts in Washington, DC. Left-wing protesters burned effigies of Musk and carried signs calling for him to be deported as Tesla vehicles were burned and vandalized.
Musk drew attention with his untraditional antics as he appeared in cabinet meetings wearring a 'tech support' T-shirt with a MAGA hat. His appearance at CPAC was marked by him wielding a chainsaw and celebrating that 'I have become meme.' Musk's remark to CBS on Wednesday criticizing the Republican-led 'Big Beautiful Bill' passed by the House of Representatives was widely seen as a veiled shot at Trump, as he prepares to leave Washington. Musk's departure was celebrated by his enemies as the failure of DOGE as he once predicted he could cut $2 trillion in spending, but he conceded that so far only $150 billion of federal spending has been cut.
The White House repeated on Thursday that the work of DOGE would continue with many of Musk's team already embedded in most cabinet agencies in the Administration. 'Surely the mission of DOGE will continue and many DOGE employees are political employees and employees of our government, and to the best of my knowledge all of them intend to stay and continue this important work,' White House press secretary told reporters on Thursday. Trump appeared eager to keep his friendship with Musk intact, hinting that he would always remain in his orbit. 'Elon is terrific!' he wrote. 'See you tomorrow at the White House.'
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