Trump praises Elon Musk and DOGE in Oval Office, says Musk will return

preCharge News WASHINGTON — President Trump praised Elon Musk for his work through the White House’s Department of Government Efficiency as the billionaire’s tenure as a “special government employee” comes to an end, saying his work “has been without comparison in modern history.”

“He’s one of the greatest business leaders and innovators the world has ever produced,” the president said, with Musk standing next to him. “He stepped forward to put his very great talents into the service of our nation, and we appreciate it.”

The president said that through his work with DOGE, his cost-cutting task force, Musk and his team have overhauled the work of the federal government, calling it “the most sweeping and consequential government reform program in generations.”

But while Musk came into the second Trump administration with a lofty promise of cutting $1 trillion from the federal budget — and even wielded a “chainsaw for bureaucracy” on stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference in February — he leaves with a tally falling far short of that goal. The White House has said that DOGE’s government-slashing efforts have saved roughly $170 billion in spending, but the initiative’s “wall of receipts” documenting spending cuts contained a number of errors and miscalculations.

Elon Musk and U.S. President Trump as they speak to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House on May 30, 2025./ Getty Images

And an analysis from the nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service estimated that DOGE’s actions could actually cost the government $135 billion as a result of lost productivity and changes in the status of federal workers. Some have been mistakenly fired, only to be rehired again.

As a special government employee, Musk was limited to working 130 days in a 365-day period, and May 30 was his 130th day. But Mr. Trump indicated Musk will remain involved.

“Many of the DOGE people” are staying on, Mr. Trump said, “And Elon’s really not leaving. He’s going to be back and forth, I think, I have a feeling. It’s his baby, and I think he’s going to be doing a lot of things.”