Trump forecasts Elon Musk’s departure from DOGE

President Donald Trump on Thursday insisted that the tech billionaire could remain at the head of the Department of Government Efficiency for as long as he’d like. But Trump added that Musk would want to get back to his business on a full-time basis soon. Trump estimated that Musk would move on in a matter of months.

Why would Musk leave? By law, special government employees like Musk are limited to a period of 130 days, which would mean Musk’s position would end in the spring. Trump characterized Musk as a smart patriot who did a fantastic job at the head of DOGE, but added that he would need to return to run his companies including Tesla and SpaceX. The president would not rule out the possibility of appointing Musk to a new position once his time as a special government employee finishes, but he quickly reiterated that Musk needed to get back to running his businesses.

Why all this talk now? Trump’s comments aboard Air Force One Thursday came days after Politico reported that Trump told his inner circle that Musk would soon be leaving. That story contradicted a previous report from February suggesting that Trump planned to keep Musk in place past the 130-day deadline.

Has Musk commented about his future? On Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt characterized Politico’s claim of a scoop as garbage. She insisted that both Musk and Trump have always publicly maintained that Musk would leave DOGE when his work was complete. Later that day, Musk reposted her comments and characterized Politico’s claim of a scoop as fake news.

Dig deeper: Read Elizabeth Russell’s report on Wisconsin courts allowing Musk to give away $2 million to signers of his petition condemning judicial activism.