Elon Musk recently suggested that he will complete his work in the near future. President Donald Trump told reporters this week that “at some point, he will be back” to run the company. As far as government efficiency is concerned, Trump said: “It will end.”
All of this talk comes after Musk faced setbacks in Wisconsin Tuesday, when voters rejected his pick for the state Supreme Court candidate despite more than $21 million in personal donations and weekend campaigns. There are more questions about the billionaire entrepreneur at his electric car maker Tesla, with sales down 13% in the first three months of the year.
The White House has not yet disclosed any clear timeline to close the threshold, and government cost-cutting organizations should never be a permanent fixture in Washington. But this may be faster than expected. Doge initially intends to operate until July 4, 2026.
Now there are signs that it’s over. Doge employees have been transferred to various federal agencies that should lead cost cuts. Government-wide layoffs are underway to achieve some of the goals Musk and Trump have achieved.
“We think that over the next two or three months, we will be very happy with people who work hard and want to be members of the administration,” Trump said last week.
The potential purpose of the governor does not mean that Trump will stop shaking Washington. But it seems that the administration’s efforts will enter a new phase, which is less focused on Musk, whose chain saw work as president’s adviser has made him a political lightning rod.
Doge was originally conceived as an independent consulting group, where Musk shared leadership with biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Ramaswamy withdrew and ran for governor of Ohio, and the governor became part of the government. It has Musk’s allies who are sent throughout the bureaucracy to cancel contracts, access sensitive data and push for cuts.
Musk probably had a ticking clock during his tenure. He was hired as a special government employee, which means he could only work 130 days in a 365-day period.
Musk told Bret Baier on March 27 that during the March 27 time, we will do most of the work needed to reduce trillions of dollars. So far, this goal is far inferior to that goal based on its own calculations, which have been criticized for being inflatable and inaccurate.
Musk does not promise to leave the government on any specific date, nor does he know how the government tracks Musk’s time. On May 30, it will be 130 days since Trump took office on January 20.
“As long as I can keep him, I will keep him” and “he is a very talented person,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday.
The Republican president is known for his explosive breakup with top advisers, but anyone who hopes to split with Musk is disappointed.
“I think he’s great, but I also think he has a big company to run,” Trump said. “So at some point, he’s going back.”
When asked if Mark (Musk) would continue, Trump expressed his disgust. He said cabinet officials have worked closely with Musk and may leave some thresholds in their institutions.
“But at some point, I think that’s going to end,” Trump said.
Musk’s poll numbers lag behind Trump’s nation, and Democrats believe they can take advantage of their strengths in Wisconsin.
Susan Crawford defeated Musk-backed Brad Schimel and secured liberals in the state Supreme Court.
At the end of the campaign, Musk described race as “important to the future of civilization.” Afterwards, he spoke in a different tone.
“I expect to lose, but it’s valuable to lose a piece of position gain,” Musk wrote on X at 3:13 am.
