Washington (AP) – President Donald Trump bid farewell to Elon Musk in the Oval Office on Friday, marking a turbulent tenure for the billionaire entrepreneur.
Musk is stepping back from his role in enhancing government efficiency and will refocus on running his business, which includes electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla, space exploration company SpaceX, and the social media platform X.
Trump praised Musk for facilitating “a significant change in the traditional business practices in Washington,” while noting that some of his staff would remain in their positions. The attendees, all dressed in black masks, including one wearing a shirt that read “The Dogefather,” nodded as the president recounted the contracts terminated during his administration.
“I think the Doge team is doing exceptional work,” Musk stated after receiving the ceremonial keys from the president. “They’re going to keep achieving remarkable things.”
However, his influence left a mark on federal officials, leading to the dismissal or exit of thousands of employees. Some governmental functions, such as those of the U.S. International Development Agency, faced substantial cuts, impacting aid to impoverished communities worldwide. Researchers from Boston University estimate that these reductions have already contributed to hundreds of thousands of deaths.
The State Department reassured that most of USAID’s HIV program, known as Pepfar, is still operational. Nonetheless, they did not address the cuts to other programs and urged foreign nations to “significantly escalate humanitarian efforts.”
Despite the sweeping changes, Musk’s ambitions fell short of expectations. After committing to cut federal spending by $1 to $2 trillion, he revised his fiscal year forecast to only $150 billion.
The accuracy of this target remains uncertain. The Doge website claims a total of $175 billion in savings, although the data appears to contain numerous inaccuracies and embellishments.
Musk bore a bruise near his right eye during the meeting in the Oval Office, explaining, “I was riding a horse with my young son.”
“I told him to smack me in the face,” he joked. “And he did.”
Trump commended Musk for leading “the most drastic and impactful government reform efforts of a generation,” suggesting that Musk “is not truly leaving” and will remain engaged with the administration.
However, there were indications that focus was shifting away from Musk, who once seemed a fixture in Washington. He often stood quietly next to Trump as reporters directed questions at him about French President (who’s great), Joe Biden’s Autopen (that’s a negative), and the potential pardon for Sean “Diddy” Combs (he sees the facts).
When the topic turned to the effects of tariffs on Tesla—something Musk had previously expressed concerns about—Trump interjected with his own comments.
The wealthiest individual recently mentioned plans to reduce his political contributions. He was the leading donor for Trump in the last presidential election.
Trump appeared ready to conclude the Musk era on a positive note.
“This is his last official day, but in actuality, it’s not, because he will always be with us and will always assist us,” Trump wrote on social media Thursday evening. “Eron is incredible!”
As a temporary special government employee, Musk’s role was intended to be brief. However, he speculated that Trump might consider keeping him on in a part-time capacity if his assistance was still desired.
Musk brushed off inquiries about how Doge would progress in his absence, indicating that it could “gain momentum” in the future.
“Doge is a way of life,” he recently shared with reporters. “Much like Buddhism.”
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Associated Press Writer Ellen Nick Meyer contributed to this report.
Source: apnews.com