US President Donald Trump said goodbye to Elon Musk at the Oval Office on Friday.
Musk is stepping down from his role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and plans to refocus his attention on his various business ventures, such as the electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla, aerospace firm SpaceX, and social networking service X.
The U.S. President praised Musk for bringing about “a massive shift from traditional methods of conducting business in Washington,” adding that certain members of his team will continue their roles within the administration.
Musk made an indelible impact on the US federal bureaucracy, resulting in numerous employees being dismissed or pressured into leaving.
Certain governmental roles were significantly weakened, such as those of the US Agency for International Development, which previously offered crucial support to underprivileged populations globally.
Researchers from Boston University suggest that hundreds of thousands of individuals have likely perished due to these reductions.
Trump gifted Musk what appeared to be a gold-coloured key for his work for establishing DOGE, which sought to layoff federal workers and close government agencies to achieve cost savings.
Trump said that he would only bestow this gift to “very special people” and that it was a “presentation from our country.”
Musk replied, “I am eager to offer my counsel whenever the president desires it.”
“I hope so,” Trump interjected as Musk expressed his aim to secure up to $1 trillion in reductions of federal expenditures eventually.
“I suppose he’ll be coming and going quite often,” Trump stated.
Trump noted that DOGE employees will remain embedded with government agencies and said the billionaire will probably want to keep tabs on “his baby.”
