Elon Musk will soon step back from govt role: Donald Trump tells Cabinet members, close contacts

Donald Trump has reportedly confirmed that his aide Elon Musk will step down from his government role at DOGE, which has seen the firing of thousands of federal workers over the last three months.

According to a report by Politico citing three people close to the President, Donald Trump has revealed the development to members of his Cabinet and other close contacts.

Donald Trump has tasked the Tesla and SpaceX CEO to lead efforts to cut government funding and dismantle various US agencies as a special government employee. Politico reported that both Trump and Musk decided in recent days that Musk will soon return to his businesses, despite the President being pleased with Musk's work at the Department of Governement Efficiency or DOGE.

Elon Musk's anticipated retreat from his government role comes at a time when some Donald Trump administration insiders and many outside allies have become annoyed with the billionaire's unpredictability and increasingly view him as a political liability.

The impending move also gives a peek to the shifting Musk-Trump relationship over the past month when White House allies viewed that Musk is here to stay.

Elon Musk may retain informal govt role

A senior administrative official told Politico that Elon Musk is likely to retain an informal role as an adviser. He may continue to be an occasional face around the White House, the media outlet reported.

This transition, according to insiders, is likely to end Elon Musk's tenure as a “special government employee,” which exempts him from some ethics and conflict-of-interest rules.

Elon Musk's tenure may end by May or June, the report said.

Musk's allies inside the White House say that the timing is right for the looming transition, as they believe that he can cut “only so much more” from government agencies without making it too damaging.

However, many others label Elon Musk as “an unpredictable, unmanageable force” who has faced issues communicating his plans and goals with Cabinet secretaries. This has sent them in a frenzy frequently, as Musk kept coming up with on and off messages on his social media platform X.