Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s time as the face of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) ended with the expiration of his time as a special government employee.
Musk has been leading Doge since January. This was tasked with cutting $2 trillion from the federal government’s budget through efforts to cut spending, government programs and federal workforce.
But how does the Trump administration see Doge now that Musk is gone?
So far, there is no indication that Doge is being demolished or its efforts will be reversed, and former Doge employees have infiltrated other areas of the Trump administration. Additionally, President Donald Trump signaled that Musk could return in some capacity, but he jumped into detail.
“Eron hasn’t really left,” Trump said Friday in his oval office. “He’s going to come and go… it’s his baby. And I think he’s going to do a lot. But Elon’s service to America has not been compared to modern history.”
Musk ConfidentDoge saves $1 trillion as government costs continue
Elon Musk holds the key to the White House, a gift he received from President Donald Trump at a press conference held at his oval office in the White House in Washington, DC on May 30, 2025 (Nathan Howard/Reuters)
According to a May 26 update from the Doge website, Doge’s efforts to reduce waste have saved about $175 billion in addition to other steps to eliminate costs, including sales of assets, cancellation of contracts and fraudulent payment reductions. According to the website, this amounts to around $1,086.96 per taxpayer savings.
Meanwhile, Musk only continues to pick up steam despite his departure as a special employee, Doge is now a key aspect of the federal government.
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“This… isn’t the end of the doge, but it’s really the beginning. My time as a special government appointee inevitably had to end,” Musk said in his oval office on Friday. “The Doge team gets stronger over time. Doge’s influence becomes stronger. I’d compare it to someone like Buddhism. It’s like a lifestyle, so it’s permeated throughout the government.
Unfinished Business: Budget Reduction Masks Could Not Completed, and What Next Doge
Elon Musk on the left will receive the golden key from President Donald Trump at his oval office in the White House in Washington, DC on May 30, 2025 (Nathan Howard/Reuters)
The White House says Dodge leaders will continue through members of Trump’s cabinet following the departure of the mask.
“Doge’s leaders are all members of the president’s cabinet, the president himself, and are sincerely committed to reducing waste, fraud and abuse from the government,” White House press chief Karoline Leavitt told reporters at a White House press conference.
“The entire Cabinet understands the need to reduce government waste, fraud and abuse,” Leavitt said. “And each Cabinet Secretary of each agency is committed to it, so they worked in partnership with Elon Musk, and they will continue to work with the employees of each Doge, who have been mounted as political appointees for these agencies.
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President Donald Trump signed at the White House’s oval office on February 11, 2025, joining Tesla, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and son X Musk (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
A senior White House official previously told Fox News Digital that Doge is now part of the federal government’s “DNA” and that the agency will continue to function as before.
“Doge employees of each agency or department will report and implement the president’s agenda through the leadership of each agency or department head,” the official said.
Andrew Mark Miller of Fox News contributed to this report.
Diana Stancy is a political reporter for Fox News Digital, covering the White House.
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