Trump tells Cabinet members Musk will leave soon, says Politico
Make us a preferred source
Make us a preferred source on Google
The news: US President Donald Trump has told his inner circle, including members of his Cabinet, that Elon Musk will be stepping back in the coming weeks from his government role, Politico reported, citing three Trump insiders.
The context: The shift comes as Musk’s 130-day status as a special government employee—temporarily exempting him from some ethics and conflict-of-interest rules—is expected to expire in late May or early June.
Musk has been leading the Department of Government Efficiency, which aims to cut USD1 trillion in federal spending, and Trump remains pleased with his role in it, according to Politico.
But Musk’s looming retreat also comes as some Trump administration insiders and many outside allies have grown frustrated with his unpredictability and increasingly see him as a political liability.
The political threat Musk poses was highlighted when a conservative judge he supported – including with a USD20 million investment – lost a Wisconsin Supreme Court race by 10 points — an outcome Democrats seized on as a referendum on the polarising mogul.
But Trump began easing the glide path more than a week before that election, including at a 24 March Cabinet meeting where he said Musk would be transitioning out, then publicly praised him as “a patriot” and “a friend of mine”.
Meanwhile, Politico also reported Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is facing mounting backlash within the Trump administration over his aggressive tariff push ahead of ‘Liberation Day’.
What they said: A White House spokesperson said Musk will “continue this good work until the President says otherwise”. Another administration official told the publication Musk was likely to retain an informal role as an adviser.
On Monday (Tuesday AEDT), Trump told reporters that “at some point Elon’s going to want to go back to his company,” adding: “He wants to. I’d keep him as long as I could keep him.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on X "(the) "scoop" is garbage."
"Elon Musk and President Trump have both *publicly* stated that Elon will depart from public service as a special government employee when his incredible work at DOGE is complete," she said.
The source: Politico
