On May 30, 2023, U.S. President Donald Trump made headlines by announcing that billionaire Elon Musk would continue to serve as a close adviser, despite Musk's recent departure from his role leading a significant cost-cutting initiative within the administration. This announcement came during a farewell event held in the Oval Office, where Trump praised Musk’s efforts as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
During his tumultuous four-month tenure, Musk's leadership at DOGE resulted in the elimination of thousands of jobs and the cancellation of billions of dollars in federal spending. Notably, he oversaw cuts to the majority of U.S. foreign aid. However, despite these actions, Musk's ambitious initial promises fell short, leading to mixed reviews from both the public and government officials.
At the farewell gathering, Trump expressed his belief that Musk would continue to play an influential role, stating, "Elon is really not leaving. He's going to be back and forth." Musk, dressed in a black DOGE hat and a T-shirt that read "The Dogefather," stood beside Trump as the president honored him with a large golden key, a token he reserved for "very special people."
Musk's time in the administration was marked by significant turmoil. Initially, Musk wielded considerable power, implementing drastic changes within the federal bureaucracy, closing agencies, and issuing sweeping mandates without prior notice. These actions led to tens of thousands of layoffs and a substantial backlash from various stakeholders, including cabinet members who expressed concerns over his approach.
As Musk's influence appeared to wane, he faced increasing pressure from shareholders worried that his political engagement might jeopardize his business ventures. Notably, anti-Musk protests at Tesla locations across the U.S. and Europe negatively impacted sales and contributed to a decline in the company's stock price. Meanwhile, his other ventures, such as SpaceX and Starlink, came under scrutiny due to his close associations with Trump.
The farewell event aimed to project unity amidst tensions that arose when Musk publicly criticized Trump's sweeping tax and spending bill as excessively costly. This remark was seen by some senior aides, including Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, as a significant breach of loyalty to the administration, with Miller particularly upset by Musk's comments.
Moving forward, Musk indicated that he would redirect more of his focus toward his businesses and scale back his political contributions. He reassured reporters, stating, "I expect to remain a friend and an adviser, and certainly, if there's anything the president wants me to do, I'm at the president's service."
Initially, Musk claimed that DOGE would achieve over $2 trillion in federal savings. However, the current estimates reveal that DOGE has only managed to save around $175 billion, with official reports indicating that the targeted agencies have cut approximately $19 billion in spending—far below Musk's original goals. This represents merely 0.5% of total federal expenditures, a stark contrast to the ambitious targets set at the beginning of the campaign.
Despite these setbacks, Musk remains optimistic about DOGE's future, asserting that downsizing the government has proven more challenging than anticipated due to the "banal evil of bureaucracy." He concluded by expressing confidence that DOGE will ultimately realize more substantial savings, stating, "This is not the end of DOGE but really the beginning."
Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington; Writing by Joseph Ax; Editing by Colleen Jenkins, Alistair Bell, and Cynthia Osterman.
