Trump praises Musk despite looming government exit
Trump made surprising remarks about Elon Musk on Thursday. "I don't need Elon for anything other than I happen to like him," stated the U.S. President.
Trump's comments were made during a meeting with members of his administration at the White House. Elon Musk, who heads the Department of Government Efficiency, also attended.
"I don’t need him for anything other than I happen to like him. I don’t need his car. I actually bought one because they said, ‘oh, did you get a bargain?’ I said, ‘no, give me the top price.’ I paid a lot of money for that car," said Trump. In March, the president announced that he bought a new Tesla.
At the same time, Trump emphasized that Musk is doing a "fantastic job" in the American government.
Is the Trump-Musk alliance ending? "130 days"
Since the election campaign, Elon Musk has strongly supported Donald Trump, investing millions of dollars in his campaign.
In early April, Trump said that Musk has obligations related to running his companies, such as Tesla and SpaceX, which limit his time working in the government. "He’s got a big company to run, and so at some point, he’s going to be going back," said Trump, as quoted by CNN.
He announced that Musk will work for the U.S. government for only 130 days.
What are the DOGE's achievements under Musk’s leadership?
The Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, aims to reduce federal spending. According to CNN estimates, over 121,000 employees have been laid off from federal agencies during DOGE's operation.
DOGE claims that its actions have saved $140 billion, although these estimates are considered overly ambitious. Officials sometimes overestimate some canceled contracts, mistaking millions for billions.
Some canceled programs were stretched over years, so the annual savings are much smaller. It's also a drop in the ocean—the deficit for 2025 is projected to be $1.9 trillion. The Trump administration wants to increase it further through tax cuts, for example.
