Elon Musk’s turbulent stint at the head of the Department of Government Efficiency under President Donald Trump came to an end amid speculations. Although Musk has been called “Trump’s first friend,” he must leave his position on May 30, precisely 130 days after Trump’s inauguration, the maximum period permitted for a special government employee under federal law.
As CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, Musk has exercised significant influence over the implementation of wide-ranging economizing measures across various federal departments, including the Department of Education, USAID, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. His departure poses questions about the future of DOGE and whether there have been any disagreements between Musk and Trump.
Musk and Trump confirm exit, there Is no rift
Both Musk and Trump confirmed that his days in Washington are numbered. Talking to Fox News, Musk said he thought he could get the job done by cutting $1 trillion from federal spending before he gets out. Trump praised Musk’s intelligence and leadership but mentioned that the billionaire had “a big company to run” and would probably resume his private endeavors shortly.
Stories expressing speculations on a rift have been dismissed by officials in the White House and Trump’s circle. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed online speculation on a falling out as “garbage.”
The reason behind Musk’s exit
Musk’s role is said to be a special government employee, a designation created in 1962 by Congress for specialists hired in an off-and-on manner to consult in government. Special government employees can only work for 130 days in a calendar year, though they can work sporadically for several years. Musk was said to be unpaid in his role and operated well within those limits.
Most of the ethics rules applicable to government employees apply to an SGE but with a fair amount of leeway due to their temporary nature. In any case, SGEs cannot participate in anything that will raise a financial conflict of interest.
In the wake of the absent Musk, what now for DOGE? “I can’t tell you that,” was Trump on DOGE’s future. The disbanding of the agency was also hinted at: “At a certain point, I think it will end; either that, or it will go to other departments and get absorbed by them.”
Notably, Trump had co-designed DOGE with biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who withdrew from the project before it commenced in earnest.
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A controversial tenure
Musk’s short time in the Trump administration was filled with innovation and controversy. He insisted on weekly five-point reports on progress from federal staff, pushed through layoffs, then used his techno-savvy knowledge to pursue cybersecurity into some serious problems.
With these steps, protests erupted, especially concerning the layoffs and their damaging impact on Tesla. Musk stood up for his company publicly, calling the backlash “a great wrong.”
