President Donald Trump was joined in the Oval Office Friday by top advisor Elon Musk, just two days after Musk announced his formal departure from the administration.
With Musk at his shoulder, Trump announced that the Tesla CEO is “really not leaving” and that he will likely “be back and forth.”
As the top staffer in the Department of Government Efficiency, Musk has been a powerful force in implementing Trump’s vow to reduce waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government.
“Elon’s service to America has been without comparison in modern history,” Trump said.
However, as a special government employee, Musk’s limited 130-day tenure came to an end this week.
“I expect to remain a friend and an advisor and certainly, if there’s anything the president wants me to do, I’m at the president’s service,” Musk said.
Under Musk’s ambitious leadership, DOGE committed to finding $1 trillion in cuts to the federal budget. While DOGE’s cuts currently measure much lower than this goal, Musk reiterated that he still plans to meet the targeted $1 trillion “over time.”
“It’s just a lot of work going through the vast expenses of the federal government and just really asking questions,” Musk said.
Musk’s departure from the Trump administration has been marked by disagreements between himself and the president over the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” But the tone of the news conference gave the air of an amicable parting.
Trump presented Musk with a large gold key as a symbolic farewell gift. “As a presentation from our country. Thank you, Elon. Take care of yourself,” Trump said.
Trump was also asked about the debt ceiling and expressed interest in eliminating it, departing from his position during the Biden administration. Trump said that Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., “happened to be right” about the need to cancel the debt limit, noting his differing viewpoint from most Republicans on the matter.
