Washington, D.C., May 31, 2025 – The Europe Today: President Donald Trump formally bid farewell to Elon Musk in the Oval Office on Friday, marking the end of Musk’s high-profile role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The billionaire entrepreneur is stepping away from his government advisory post to focus fully on his private ventures, including Tesla, SpaceX, and social media platform X.
In a ceremony described as both cordial and unconventional, Trump praised Musk for implementing sweeping changes in federal operations, calling him the driving force behind “a colossal change in the old ways of doing business in Washington.”
Musk, dressed in all black with a T-shirt emblazoned with “The Dogefather,” accepted a ceremonial key from the president, signaling the conclusion of his government role. “I think the DOGE team is doing an incredible job,” Musk said. “They’re going to continue to be doing an incredible job.”
Musk’s tenure was marked by both dramatic cost-cutting efforts and intense controversy. Under his leadership, thousands of federal employees were dismissed or pushed out, and major institutions such as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) were drastically downsized. While Musk’s office claimed more than $175 billion in government savings, independent researchers and watchdogs questioned the accuracy of those figures and pointed to severe humanitarian consequences, especially from cuts to international aid programs.
Boston University researchers estimate that hundreds of thousands of deaths may be linked to the impact of DOGE policies on foreign assistance. The State Department maintained that key programs, such as PEPFAR — the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief — remain operational, but declined to comment on other areas affected by the reductions.
Despite initially pledging to slash up to $2 trillion in government spending, Musk scaled back his target to $150 billion in the current fiscal year, and it remains unclear whether that figure has been met.
Appearing with a visible bruise next to his right eye — which he attributed to playful roughhousing with his young son — Musk brushed off questions about his future role. “I said, go ahead, punch me in the face,” he quipped, adding, “and he did.”
President Trump called Musk’s reform efforts “the most sweeping and consequential government reform in generations,” and hinted that the billionaire would remain informally involved. “This will be his last day, but not really, because he will, always, be with us, helping all the way,” Trump wrote on social media.
While Musk previously suggested he might stay on in a part-time capacity, he now appears focused on his private endeavors and hinted that DOGE could continue to grow without him. “DOGE is a way of life,” he said. “Like Buddhism.”
The departure comes amid signs of waning attention toward Musk’s government role, with Trump increasingly fielding policy questions himself. Musk, who was Trump’s top campaign donor in the last presidential election, has recently stated he plans to reduce his political donations.
Musk’s exit marks the conclusion of an extraordinary and polarizing chapter in Washington, where the world’s richest man held unprecedented influence — and left behind a legacy that is still being debated.
