WASHINGTON – Elon Musk will depart his role with the Department of Government Efficiency once “his incredible work at DOGE is complete,” the White House said Wednesday.
What’s next:
Musk’s role with DOGE is as a “special government employee,” which can only last 130 days. Musk’s 130 days began on January 20, and would end by May 30.
The White House has not disclosed any clear timeline for closing down DOGE, and the government cost-cutting organization was never supposed to become a permanent fixture in Washington. DOGE was originally intended to operate until July 4, 2026.
What they’re saying:
“This ‘scoop’ is garbage,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted to X Wednesday. “Elon Musk and President Trump have both *publicly* stated that Elon will depart from public service as a special government employee when his incredible work at DOGE is complete.”
Leavitt was referencing a Politico article published Wednesday that reported that Trump told his inner circle that Musk would be stepping back in the coming weeks.
Musk and Trump have both said that Musk’s role was temporary.
Trump told reporters this week that “at some point, he’s going to be going back” to running his companies. As far as the Department of Government Efficiency, Trump said “at a certain point, I think it will end.”
“We think probably over the next two or three months, we’ll be pretty much satisfied with the people that are working hard and want to be members of the administration,” Trump said last week.
“I think we will have accomplished most of the work required to reduce the deficit by a trillion dollars within that time frame,” Musk told Bret Baier of Fox News on March 27 when asked about his 130-day tenure.
What is a “special government employee?”
Big picture view:
“Special government employee” is a role Congress created in 1962 that allows the executive or legislative branch to hire temporary employees for specific short-term initiatives.
Special government employees are permitted to work for the federal government for “no more than 130 days in a 365- day period,” according to data from the Office of Government Ethics.
The Source: This story includes information from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt as well as reporting from the Associated Press and FOX News Digital.
