Contrary to gossipy media reports, it looks like the bromance between President Donald Trump and Elon Musk is not over. Trump announced in an upbeat post on Truth Social Thursday night he will be holding an Oval Office press conference with Musk Friday afternoon to mark Musk’s final day as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk’s status as a (unpaid) Special Government Employee has come to the legal limit of 130 calendar year days this week.
Musk has had a frustrating time trying to reform the federal government. Even with Trump’s backing, he has faced resistance from (some) White House officials, cabinet secretaries, GOP Congressmen and Senators and a mutinous federal bureaucracy. Musk is most concerned with reining in federal spending as he sees the future of the U.S. at stake if the current massive deficit spending is not dramatically reduced immediately.
Musk also received numerous, serious death threats because of work with DOGE. His businesses were attacked, most notably Tesla. Tesla dealerships were protested and firebombed, Tesla cars and Cybertrucks were set ablaze or vandalized, while Tesla drivers were assaulted.
Still, DOGE had many successes exposing the antiquated systems involving trillions of dollars in unregulated payments by the Treasury, the stone age federal retirement system (in a cave!) and ending wasteful agencies, programs and contracts, saving the government billions of dollars. USAID being shuttered is one of DOGE’s greatest successes. DOGE will reportedly carry on without Musk’s leadership.
Photos from the start of the bromance. One of the greatest political partnerships in history was cemented at Trump’s campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on October 5 last year.
“I am having a Press Conference tomorrow at 1:30 P.M. EST (sic EDT), with Elon Musk, at the Oval Office. This will be his last day, but not really, because he will, always, be with us, helping all the way. Elon is terrific! See you tomorrow at the White House.”
Wednesday night, Musk announced his departure in a post on the social media platform he bought to save free speech, X: “As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending. The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”
As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending.
The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 29, 2025
For several months after the election last year through the first few months of Trump’s second term this year, Musk and Trump were seemingly inseparable with Musk spending weeks at Mar-a-Lago and then staying at the White House complex and flying with Trump to Mar-a-Lago on weekends, sometimes accompanied by his son ‘Little X’:
Screen image, via C-SPAN, March 14, 2025.
Musk also attended cabinet meetings. Last month Musk impishly joked about the many hats he was wearing:
.@realDonaldTrump: “Elon, I love the double hat by the way.”@elonmusk: “Well, Mr. President, you know they say I wear a lot of hats. Even my hat has a hat!” pic.twitter.com/iwlSpTDQVl
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) April 30, 2025
Musk, the world’s richest man, recently announced he is pulling back from making political donations and is back to sleeping at offices of his companies.
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