Latest news with #MuskDeparture
Forbes
a day ago
- Business
- Forbes
Musk's Last Day At DOGE: Here's What We Know About His Tenure
Elon Musk departs the White House Friday after a brief but wildly controversial run marked by contradictory reports of his success leading the Department of Government Efficiency. Musk and Trump will hold a final joint press conference from the Oval Office Friday at 1:30 p.m., Trump announced on Truth Social, calling Musk 'terrific' and adding, 'this will be his last day, but not really, because he will, always, be with us, helping all the way.' Musk departs the White House after publicly criticizing the price tag of Trump's signature policy bill earlier this week, and announcing earlier this month he would scale back his political spending. Trump tapped Musk, the richest person in the world, to lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) earlier this year after Musk spent more than $250 million to help elect him. As a special government employee, Musk was not paid and his service was limited to 130 days. Musk admittedly fell far short of his goal to cut $1 trillion in government spending, but made drastic reductions that could have a lasting effect, including eliminating some agencies entirely and laying off tens of thousands of federal workers, though many of those decisions remain under challenge in the courts. Eliminating the U.S. Agency for International Development: The Trump administration has terminated more than 80% of grants and contracts, having a drastic and in some cases, devastating, impact on global health funding. The cuts may have resulted in about 300,000 deaths, according to an estimate by Brooke Nichols, an associate professor of global health at Boston University. The majority—more than 200,000—are child deaths. Many stem from malnutrition and malaria. The White House has denied any deaths from the USAID cuts—Secretary of State Marco Rubio told House lawmakers earlier this month 'no one has died' because of the cuts. Courts have overturned tens of thousands of the firings spearheaded by Musk, among multiple legal actions against his work at DOGE. A judge this week refused to dismiss a lawsuit against 14 states that sued Musk and DOGE, alleging illegal access of government data. More than 260,000 federal workers have been fired, taken buyouts or retired since Trump took office, a tally that far exceeds the record 195,000 cut during former President Dwight Eisenhower's first year, according to Reuters. The Supreme Court last month paused an order by a San Francisco judge requiring the federal government to reinstate more than 16,000 probationary workers—or those who were newly hired—fired by six agencies. New York Times columnist Michelle Goldberg called DOGE's work 'a failure' in a piece published Friday that notes 'its firings, re-hirings, use of paid administrative leave and all the associated lack of productivity' could cost more than $135 billion this year, according to the Partnership for Public Service. Musk said during Trump's campaign he believed he could find $2 trillion in federal government savings, then made a goal of $1 trillion in cuts when he was appointed to lead DOGE before saying last month he anticipated $150 billion in savings. DOGE's website has featured numerous errors, including triple counting savings from a contract, claiming it cancelled grants that were terminated years ago and using 'billions' when it meant 'millions,' according to The New York Times, which also reported DOGE changed its public reporting methods in an apparent attempt to make errors harder to find. Musk raised eyebrows when he used a salute that closely resembled the one used in Nazi Germany at a Trump inauguration event in January. Twice while on stage Musk projected his arm diagonally upward from his chest with an open, downward facing palm. Some observers said it was a 'Roman salute,' a take reshared by Musk, who never outright denied the accusations likening him to Hilter, and the Anti-Defamation League determined it was 'not a Nazi salute.' We estimate Musk is worth $428.6 billion. -14. That's Musk's net favorability rating, a 20-point decline since January last year, according to Nate Silver's Silver Bulletin. Elon Musk Is More Unpopular As He Leaves Trump Administration, Polls Show (Forbes) Musk's 'Legion': Report Details Richest Man's Multiple Children And 'Harem Drama' (Forbes) Musk Used Heavy Drugs Including Ketamine And Ecstasy While He Became Close To Trump, Report Says (Forbes)
Sky News
a day ago
- Business
- Sky News
Donald Trump to host White House farewell for Elon Musk
Why is Musk leaving? News of Musk's departure sparked plenty of speculation over whether his friendship with the US president was on the rocks. This was fuelled, in part, by Musk's recent criticism of some of the Trump administration's policies. He wasn't pleased with the US president's sweeping 'Liberation Day' tariffs and earlier this week expressed concerns about Trump's federal budget proposals. But when Musk's DOGE exit was announced, both men did their best to dispel rumours of a fallout. Trump wrote on Truth Social: "This will be [Musk's] last day, but not really, because he will, always, be with us, helping all the way. Elon is terrific!" On his rival social media platform X, Musk thanked the president "for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending". Indeed, the real reason for Musk's exit appears may be less contentious than some critics believe. As DOGE chief, the X owner was a "special government employee" – meaning he could only serve 130 days out of the year. While Musk's exact start date isn't know, the mandate was set to expire around today.
Sky News
a day ago
- Business
- Sky News
Donald Trump hosts White House farewell for Elon Musk
Why is Musk leaving? News of Musk's departure sparked plenty of speculation over whether his friendship with the US president was on the rocks. This was fuelled, in part, by Musk's recent criticism of some of the Trump administration's policies. He wasn't pleased with the US president's sweeping 'Liberation Day' tariffs and earlier this week expressed concerns about Trump's federal budget proposals. But when Musk's DOGE exit was announced, both men did their best to dispel rumours of a fallout. Trump wrote on Truth Social: "This will be [Musk's] last day, but not really, because he will, always, be with us, helping all the way. Elon is terrific!" On his rival social media platform X, Musk thanked the president "for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending". Indeed, the real reason for Musk's exit appears may be less contentious than some critics believe. As DOGE chief, the X owner was a "special government employee" – meaning he could only serve 130 days out of the year. While Musk's exact start date isn't know, the mandate was set to expire around today.
Zawya
3 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Elon Musk leaving Trump administration, capping turbulent tenure
WASHINGTON - Billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk is leaving the Trump administration after leading a tumultuous efficiency drive, during which he upended several federal agencies, but ultimately failed to deliver the generational savings he had sought. His "off-boarding will begin tonight," a White House official told Reuters late Wednesday, confirming Musk's departure from government. Musk earlier on Wednesday took to his social media platform X to thank President Donald Trump as his time as a special government employee with the Department of Government Efficiency draws to an end. His departure was quick and unceremonious. He did not have a formal conversation with Trump before announcing his exit, according to a source with knowledge of the matter, who added that his departure was decided "at a senior staff level." While the precise circumstances of his exit were not immediately clear, he leaves a day after criticizing Trump's marquee tax bill, calling it too expensive and a measure that would undermine his work with the U.S. DOGE Service. Some senior White House officials, including Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, were particularly irked by those comments, and the White House was forced to call Republican senators to reiterate Trump's support for the package, a source familiar with the matter said. While Musk remains close to the president, his exit comes after a gradual, but steady slide in standing. After Trump's inauguration, the billionaire quickly emerged as a powerful force in Trump's orbit: hyper-visible, unapologetically brash and unfettered by traditional norms. At the Conservative Political Action Conference in February, he brandished a red metallic chainsaw to wild cheers. "This is the chainsaw for bureaucracy," he declared. On the campaign trail, Musk had said DOGE would be able to cut at least $2 trillion in federal spending. He did not hide his animus for the federal workforce, and he predicted that revoking "the COVID-era privilege" of telework would trigger "a wave of voluntary terminations that we welcome." But some cabinet members who initially embraced Musk's outsider energy grew wary of his tactics, sources said. Over time, they grew more confident pushing back against his job cuts, encouraged by Trump's reminder in early March that staffing decisions rested with department secretaries, not with Musk. Musk clashed with three of Trump's most senior cabinet members - Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. He called Trump's trade adviser Peter Navarro a "moron" and "dumber than a sack of bricks." Navarro dismissed the insults, saying, "I've been called worse." At the same time, Musk began to hint that his time in government would come to a close, while expressing frustration at times that he could not more aggressively cut spending. In an April 22 Tesla conference call, he signaled he would be significantly scaling back his government work to focus on his businesses. DOGE GOES ON Musk's 130-day mandate as a special government employee in the Trump administration was set to expire around May 30. The administration has said DOGE's efforts to restructure and shrink the federal government will continue. "The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government," Musk said. Trump and DOGE have managed to cut nearly 12%, or 260,000, of the 2.3 million-strong federal civilian workforce largely through threats of firings, buyouts and early retirement offers, a Reuters review of agency departures found. Musk on Tuesday criticized the price tag of Republicans' tax and budget legislation making its way through Congress. "I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing," Musk told CBS News. His political activities have drawn protests and some investors have called for him to leave his work as Trump's adviser and more closely manage Tesla, which has seen falls in sales and its stock price. Musk, the world's richest person, has defended his role as an unelected official who was granted unprecedented authority by Trump to dismantle parts of the U.S. government. Having spent nearly $300 million to back Trump's presidential campaign and other Republicans last year, he said earlier this month he would substantially cut his political spending. "I think I've done enough," Musk said at an economic forum in Qatar. (Reporting by Nandita Bose, David Shepardson and Kanjyik Ghosh; Editing by Chris Sanders and Stephen Coates)
