When the Trump Administration claimed victory in the November 2024 elections, one of the biggest surprises the Administration announced was bringing on Tesla CEO Elon Musk to serve as head of the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an external advisory body for the federal government intended to advise on how to prevent unnecessary federal spending. Now, there have been rumors circulating that Musk may be leaving the administration soon.
Musk’s role within the Department of Government Efficiency
In a controversial move, the Trump Administration brought Musk in to head DOGE. With a goal of saving $2 trillion in federal spending, DOGE has received mixed reviews regarding their involvement in federal affairs despite being an external body and not an official department within the federal government. Recently, DOGE made significant cuts to USAID, receiving significant international criticism.
Currently, federal debt is sitting at approximately $36 trillion. Supporters of DOGE see the agency as a necessary partner for the federal government, with some taxpayers concerned that their taxes are not being spent effectively. President Trump has previously stated that to curb this unnecessary spending, the Administration intends to cut programs which do not align with his government policies as well as reduce the federal work force.
“The people voted for major government reform and that’s what the people are going to get,” said Musk said at the Oval Office in defense for DOGE’s widespread spending cuts on February 11. “They’re going to get what they voted for.”
Is Musk now leaving the Administration?
Recently, news has been circulating that Musk will be leaving the Administration. However, the news appears to be based on the cap special government employees have regarding their working days. Special government employees, which is what Musk is, are only allowed to work for 130 days. Following this, Musk is soon to end his employment by the federal government in May.
In the White House Press Secretary’s post on X, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt fact-checked an article which alluded that Musk would be “stepping back” from the Trump Administration. the confusion may also stem from recent comments President Trump made earlier last week where Trump spoke to reporters about Musk’s role in the federal government:
“I think he’s been amazing, but I also think he’s got a big company to run … And at some point, he’s going to be going back. He wants to,” said President Trump to reporters. “I’d keep him as long as I could keep him,” Trump added.
Tesla faces backlash in local and international markets
Recently, Musk has received criticism not only due to his new role in government. Recently, the major electric vehicle company has had to make two vehicle recalls, the first regarding the infamous Cybertruck, while the second refers to their Model S and Model X vehicles. The Cybertruck recall affected 46,000 vehicles while the Model S and Model X recall affected only 91 vehicles. Notices for both recalls will be sent to affected vehicle owners by the end of May. Affected vehicles must be brought into Tesla, at no additional cost to the consumer.
In addition, Tesla vehicles faced a new blow from Canadian province British Columbia. Recently, the US announced new tariffs for both Canadian and Mexican products, the US’s two neighboring countries. In response, British Columbia removed Tesla vehicles as qualifying to take part in their electrical rebate system. The new global tariffs by the US has received significant international criticism, with many countries arguing that they disrupt global trade and harm economic growth. Critics and economists contend that these measures could lead to increased prices for consumers and strain diplomatic relations between the US and its trading partners.
