Elon Musk will step down from his role with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) later this spring. The White House confirmed he’ll leave once “his incredible work at DOGE is complete.”
“This ‘scoop’ is garbage,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on X. “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 pushing back on a Politico article from Wednesday. The piece claimed Trump had told his inner circle Musk would be stepping away in the coming weeks.
But Musk’s exit has been expected. His role as a special government employee was always set to end after 130 days in May.
He’s been the face of DOGE since Trump signed the executive order to create it on January 20. The role is temporary by design.
A “special government employee” is a legal classification from 1962. It allows the federal government to hire someone for short-term projects—no more than 130 days per year.
Musk’s term, which started on Inauguration Day, ends May 30. "Politico has become a tabloid paper," said White House spokesman Harrison Fields. "This is exactly why President Trump and DOGE have terminated millions of dollars in wasteful, government contracts to so-called news organizations that have diminished their credibility with the American people."
Politico stood by its reporting. A spokesperson said the outlet has confidence in its coverage.
DOGE itself won’t last forever. The cross-departmental group will dissolve on July 4, 2026, per Trump’s executive order.
Both Musk and Trump have been clear about the timeline. They’ve said for weeks the role would be temporary.
“You, technically, are a special government employee and you're supposed to be 130 days,” Fox News' Bret Baier asked Musk. “Are you going to continue past that or do you think that's what you're going to do?”
“I think we will have accomplished most of the work required to reduce the deficit by a trillion dollars within that time frame,” Musk replied.
Trump commented on Musk’s exit again Monday. A reporter asked if he wanted Musk to stay longer than 130 days.
“I think he’s amazing. But I also think he’s got a big company to run,” Trump said. “And so at some point he’s going to be going back.”
“I’d keep him as long as I can keep him,” Trump added. “He’s a very talented guy. You know, I love very smart people. He’s very smart. And he’s done a good job. DOGE is, we’ve found numbers that nobody can even believe.”