President Donald Trump said in a conversation with reporters Thursday that he hopes Elon Musk will remain with his team “for as long as possible.”
The president’s remarks came during a conversation with a reporter in Air Force 1. Meanwhile, Trump was asked how long Musk would stay as a “special government employee.” Questions followed a political media report this week, claiming that Trump told his inner circle that Musk would soon leave his role as a “special government employee.” The report cited internal complaints about Musk’s “unpredictability” and the possibility of being “political responsibility.”
“Elon is great, he’s a patriot,” Trump told reporters, adding that Musk “can stay in the White House as long as he likes, and that he personally “want to stay as long as possible.”
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“I like smart people, he’s smart, and I personally like him,” Trump continued. “We’re not in a hurry, but there’s a point where Elon has to leave.”
Elon Musk is celebrating a new poll that found that there should be a government agency dedicated to efficiency and that Doge agrees to help cut spending at scale. (Getty Images)
According to data from the Government Ethics Office, “special government officials” are permitted to work for the federal government for “up to 130 days in 365 days.” Musk’s 130-day time frame is dry from inauguration day to May 30th.
When asked if he would consider appointing Mask to another post to keep him longer, Trump said it could be.
“I’m going to do that – I think Elon is great,” Trump replied. “But he has a company that runs, or a company that runs many.”
Musk hasn’t left yet, once he puts the job together on a schedule saying, “The incredible job at Doge is perfect”: White House
According to the president, Musk’s exit from the “secretary” from Doji in his cabinet will take over the work Musk has done with Doji.
The job found something “terrifying” and “incredible” today, but he added that he would not have given reporters any further details.
New York Times opinion writers despair in the first 50 days of the Trump administration. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Musk’s work with Doge officially began after President Trump signed an executive order to set up the office on January 20th. The role of “special government employee” was created in 1962 to allow temporary employees to be hired for specific short-term initiatives.
When asked for a specific date for a potential departure for the mask, the president replied that it could be as long as “a few months.”
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“I’ll protect him as much as I can,” Trump told the media earlier this week. “He’s a very talented guy. You know, I love very smart people. He’s very smart. And he did a good job.”
The president added that one of the Air Forces expects many of the employees working under Doge’s Musk to ultimately take full-time positions across various federal agencies.
Emma Colton from Fox News contributed to this report.
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