Donald Trump news: Elon Musk reportedly leaving US President’s White House team

US President Donald Trump has reportedly told his allies, including members of his cabinet, that Tesla Founder Elon Musk will be stepping back from his role at the White House in the coming weeks.

Mr Musk is approaching a legal limit of 130 days working with the US Government in an unvetted role in May, with administration insiders telling Politico on Wednesday that the SpaceX owner would certainly be stepping down from his lead role in the weeks to come. The world’s richest person has called the reporting “fake news”, the White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, agreeing on Wednesday, saying that the story was “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 (department of government efficiency) is complete,” she said.

Mr Trump also commented on Mr Musk’s time working with his administration on Monday.

“He’s got a big company to run...at some point he’s going to be going back,” Mr Trump told reporters.

“I’d keep him as long as I could keep him.”

Mr Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is set to continue operating under Mr Trump’s executive order until 2026, with high-ranking officials appointed by Mr Musk likely to remain in leadership roles across federal agencies even after his departure.

Since its inception, DOGE has aggressively targeted government spending, figuratively, and once literally using a “chainsaw” to cut through federal agencies.

Mr Musk joined Trump’s administration as an unvetted high-level employee in January, spearheading efforts to streamline operations and reduce costs.

Under DOGE’s directives, large-scale layoffs have swept through the civil service, including 10,000 positions eliminated at the Department of Health and Human Services this week alone.

The department has also moved to dismantle entire agencies such as USAID, which focuses on humanitarian aid, and Voice of America, a global media outlet backed by the state.

According to estimates reported by The New York Times, DOGE has overseen the elimination of 56,000 federal jobs since January 20, with an additional 75,000 workers accepting voluntary buyouts. Another 171,000 reductions are planned as part of Musk’s sweeping cost-cutting measures.