White House dismisses report on Elon Musk’s departure from DOGE role

Washington: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt issued a statement on Wednesday, refuting a Politico report that claimed President Donald Trump had informed his inner circle of Elon Musk’s imminent departure from his role in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). 

Leavitt wrote, "This ‘scoop’ is garbage. 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." 

Her response directly addressed a Politico article published earlier that day, which reported that Trump had told his inner circle and Cabinet members that Musk would step back from his current role in the coming weeks.

Musk joined the Trump administration as a special government employee to lead DOGE, an initiative aimed at reducing federal bureaucracy and cutting government spending. His tenure, limited to 130 days under special government employee status, is set to expire in late May or early June 2025, according to Politico. 

The report also highlighted concerns among some Trump administration insiders, who view Musk as a political liability following the loss of a conservative judge he supported in a Wisconsin Supreme Court election on April 1, 2025. The judge lost by a margin of 10 points, a defeat some attributed to Musk’s polarising public image.

The Politico report further noted that Musk’s role in DOGE has drawn scrutiny, with some administration officials citing his unpredictability and lack of coordination with Cabinet secretaries. 

Despite these concerns, a senior administration official told Politico that Musk is likely to retain an informal advisory role and remain a presence around the White House even after stepping back from his official duties.

Musk’s contributions through DOGE have included identifying $32 billion in wasteful grants and $400 million in bloated leases, as well as helping craft the America First Investment Policy, which has driven foreign capital into U.S. tech and infrastructure, according to a post by DOGEai on April 2, 2025. 

However, public backlash against DOGE has grown, with a Quinnipiac poll cited by Politico on April 1, 2025, showing that over half of voters believe Musk and DOGE are hurting the country. Tesla, Musk’s flagship company, has also faced declining sales, which some attribute to his political involvement.

Trump himself hinted at Musk’s potential departure during a White House signing ceremony for an executive order on concert ticket resellers on April 1, 2025. 

He stated, “At some point Elon’s gonna want to go back to his company,” as reported by Politico. Earlier, on March 10, 2025, The Washington Post noted that Trump had publicly called for more precision in DOGE’s cuts, favoring a “scalpel” over a “hatchet,” following his initial praise of Musk in a congressional address on March 4, 2025.