In an Oval Office appearance Friday afternoon, President Trump assured that Elon Musk, Tesla CEO and head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is “really not leaving” but will be “back and forth” because DOGE is “his baby.” Musk confirmed that his role as a special government employee (SGE) limits his official time in the White House, but he plans to continue visiting and serving as a friend and advisor to the president.
“This is not the end of DOGE, but really the beginning,” Musk said. He added that the DOGE team will grow stronger and its influence will permeate government life.
Press Event Highlights and Musk’s Comments
The press event was notable for its absence of tough questions; many attending journalists come from right-leaning outlets. When asked if running DOGE or getting to Mars is harder, Musk dodged the question. He also avoided queries about alleged drug use, instead attacking The New York Times for their reporting.
Musk criticized what he called the “banal evil of bureaucracy,” describing it as “largely uncaring.” Critics like Bill Gates have sharply disagreed, condemning Musk’s cuts to health programs such as USAID. Gates called the image of the world’s richest man “killing the world’s poorest children” deeply disturbing.
When questioned about tariffs impacting Tesla, Trump insisted Musk will “end up building his car here” and expressed frustration over automakers sourcing parts globally. “You build a car, make it in America,” Trump said. He urged full U.S. manufacturing within a year.
Tesla manufactures a majority of its vehicles in the U.S. and Canada, but still sources parts such as batteries from China. Recently, Tesla ceased selling certain models in China due to tariff costs.
Musk Signals Return to Business Focus
Musk has hinted at stepping back from DOGE to refocus on Tesla, SpaceX, and X, his social media platform. On social media, he thanked President Trump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending as his SGE tenure ends.
The SGE designation limits federal work to 130 days per year without requiring divestment from private ventures. Musk hit this cap in late May, prompting the White House to begin his offboarding.
DOGE aimed to cut $2 trillion from federal spending, later revising the goal to $150 billion. Official estimates place savings at around $175 billion, though some cuts included in this figure predate DOGE’s launch.
However, the broader federal deficit is expected to balloon under Trump’s proposed “One Big Beautiful Bill,” estimated by the Congressional Budget Office to increase the deficit by $3.8 trillion.
In a recent interview, Musk expressed disappointment with the bill, saying, “I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful, but I don’t know if it can be both.”
Business Challenges Amid Government Role
Tesla’s sales have dropped significantly during Musk’s tenure at DOGE, accompanied by protests and vandalism at dealerships. Rumors circulated about potential leadership changes at Tesla, though the company denies these claims.
X, Musk’s social media platform, experienced outages recently, and SpaceX’s latest Starship test flight ended with an explosion.
On Saturday, Musk tweeted, “Back to spending 24/7 at work and sleeping in conference/server/factory rooms. I must be super focused on 𝕏/xAI and Tesla.”
Author’s Opinion
Elon Musk’s foray into government work was ambitious but highlights the challenges of balancing public service with leading multiple high-profile companies. While his efficiency goals had noble intentions, the fallout—both in public perception and company performance—suggests such roles demand full focus. It may be wiser to keep business and government efforts separate to avoid distractions that hurt both.
Featured image credit: Heute
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