The White House is working aggressively to refute a shocking report claiming that First Buddy Elon Musk will be departing the Department of Government Efficiency ‘in the coming weeks.’
Citing sources referred to as four anonymous ‘Trump insiders,’ Politico alleged that President Donald Trump and Musk had ‘agreed’ that the 53-year-old billionaire would soon ‘step back’ to assume a ‘supporting role’ and return to the private sector to manage his businesses.
This piece of news landed in official Washington like a bombshell, hinting at a widely expected divide finally emerging between Trump and the unconventional genius who financially backed the president’s 2024 campaign with a significant amount of $288 billion.
The report leaned heavily on sources who said that Musk had become an ‘unpredictable, unmanageable force’ who incites political turmoil and clashes within Trump’s inner circle – including with White House enforcer and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, aka the ‘Ice Maiden’.
Indeed, there is no doubt that Musk’s unconventional approach to public relations and his machete-style reform of the federal bureaucracy has ruffled feathers in DC.
But sources close to the administration now tell the Daily Mail that the report is ‘garbage’ and ‘fake news’, adding that Trump and Musk have reached no such decision and there are no plans for the billionaire to leave before his work with DOGE is done.
These sentiments were reflected in a post from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on X: ‘This “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.’
Musk himself retweeted Leavitt’s message and, with his characteristic off-handedness, said: ‘Yeah, fake news.’
The White House is pushing back against an explosive report that First Buddy Elon Musk will be leaving the Department of Government Efficiency ‘in the coming weeks’
The Tesla billionaire has reportedly butted heads with Trump’s Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, nicknamed the ‘Ice Maiden’ thanks to her cold determination
Even the billionaire’s father, Errol Musk, reached by the Daily Mail in South Africa, leapt into the fray: ‘Elon will never walk away from DOGE until his commitment is over. Everything they are claiming about Elon leaving DOGE has been made up and is not true.’
But this Politico report – and the vehemence with which the White House and allies have responded – has fanned even more wild speculation in political circles, as many suggested that Musk had been forced out of the administration by rivals. And insiders conceded that there are pockets of discontent in the administration over Musk’s role.
One of the most influential people Musk has reportedly butted heads with is Trump’s Chief of Staff Wiles, nicknamed the ‘Ice Maiden’ by Trump, thanks to her cold determination.
Wiles has reportedly been frustrated by Musk’s failure to keep her abreast of his agency-gutting plans, and by his insistence on tweeting out key information before it has been vetted by Wiles’ team.
Vanity Fair reported last month that Wiles has been leading a behind-the-scenes effort to bring Musk to heel and even encouraged cabinet secretaries to air criticism of Musk directly to the president.
Given Wiles’s reputation as a political operator who understands the ‘dark arts’ of manipulating media coverage to kneecap her opponents, insiders have suggested that she could be behind the Politico piece.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the claims on X, posting ‘This “scoop” is garbage’
But it was reported last month that Wiles, left, has been leading a behind-the-scenes effort to bring Musk to heel
There is a widespread belief among political observers that Musk is a political liability for Trump. That was furthered this week, when the candidate for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, Brad Schimel, to whom Musk endorsed and donated $20 million, lost.
Musk’s high-profile campaigning for Schimel has even led some to see the election as a referendum on Musk himself – and sources told the Daily Mail that Trump was highly disappointed by the result.
Regardless of Musk’s political rivalries, there are definitely financial incentives for him get out of his DOGE role sooner rather than later.
His work has sparked waves of protests, boycotts and violent attacks on Tesla stores and vehicles around the world, causing his Tesla stock to tank.
‘My Tesla stock and the stock of everyone who holds Tesla has gone, went roughly in half,’ Musk said on Sunday night. ‘This is a very expensive job is what I’m saying.’
Musk has also come under pressure from his investors to relinquish the role too, with one New York Pension Fund calling on Monday for a shareholder lawsuit against Tesla, accusing Musk of causing the company’s shares to plunge because of his work at DOGE.
Additionally, there are signs that if Musk does leave DOGE, the Tesla stock will rebound, given it rose five percent after the Politico report was published on Wednesday.
Critics have questioned whether Musk and Donald Trump, pictured together in the Oval Office in February, have fallen out
Finally, some have speculated that there may be a simpler, more personal reason for Musk to leave his role sooner than planned: perhaps he has fallen out with Trump.
Just two months ago, Musk Tweeted: ‘I love @realDonaldTrump as much as a straight man can love another man.’ But critics have long questioned how long two men, both with such large egos, could work closely together without upset.
And commentators have suggested that their relationship would end whenever Trump felt threatened by Musk. ‘Trump and Musk: The Bromance That Cannot Last’, read one such New York Times headline in November.
Again, sources have insisted to the Daily Mail that that is not what is happening here – and that Trump remains impressed with Musk’s work, viewing his efforts as a net positive.
For his part, Errol says any suggestion that his son has a personality problem with the president or anyone else is rubbish.
‘I don’t see Elon walking away from Trump. Claims that they might be bashing heads because there are two egos in the room are unfounded,’ he said.
‘There is absolutely no difficulty between Elon and the Congress or Elon and Trump or Elon and anyone with his work that he is doing with DOGE,’ he added. ‘They are simply spreading these rumors to try to hurt him.’
Musk, 53, has previously suggested he will walk away from DOGE in May, saying: ‘I think we will have accomplished most of the work’
Republican candidate Brad Schimel, who was endorsed by Musk, lost the race for the Wisconsin Supreme Court – raising concerns that the billionaire may be a liability
The White House and sources close to the administration insist that Musk’s time with DOGE will end only when his work has been completed – and they add that this will likely be by the end of May given his status as a ‘special government employee’.
Special government employees are only allowed to work for the federal government for ‘130 days in a 365-day period,’ according to the Office of Government Ethics. Musk’s 130-day timeframe it is set to run out on May 30.
There is no doubt that Trump could try to extend this deadline – or find another way to employ Musk – if he so desired, but Musk himself has insisted there is no need to.
Last Thursday, in a response to a question from Fox News’ Bret Baier Musk suggested that he would walk away from DOGE in May: ‘I think we will have accomplished most of the work required to reduce the deficit by a trillion dollars within that time frame.’
Trump too has publicly alluded to Musk’s time at DOGE coming to an end.
At a White House event on Monday, the President said: ‘I think he’s amazing but I also think he’s got a big company to run. At some point he’s going to be going back. He wants to… I’d keep him as long as I can keep him. He’s a very talented guy.’
