Washington, D.C. [US], May 31 (ANI): U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday praised Elon Musk for his “fantastic job” as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and assured that the department—established by Musk to eliminate unnecessary spending and stimulate the economy—will continue to operate.
Speaking from the Oval Office on Musk’s final day as a Special Government Employee, Trump said, “Elon has worked tirelessly, helping lead the most sweeping and consequential government reforms in generations.” He affirmed that many members of the DOGE team will remain in place and hinted that Musk himself will still be involved. “Many of the DOGE people are staying behind, too, so they’re not leaving. Elon is really not leaving—he’s gonna be back and forth,” Trump said. “I want to thank Elon for his time as a special government employee for coming and helping us.”
The president went on to outline numerous contracts that were eliminated based on DOGE’s recommendations, noting their financial impact. “We have terminated many, many contracts—and many more are being looked at. Some may take six months, maybe a year, depending on the process or the courts. But we’ll remember you, Elon,” Trump said.
Among the canceled expenditures, Trump cited USD 101 million in DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) contracts at the Department of Education, USD 59 million for hotel accommodations for undocumented immigrants in New York City, USD 45 million for DEI scholarships in Burma, USD 42 million for social and behavioral change initiatives in Uganda, USD 40 million for promoting migrant inclusion, and USD 8 million related to transgender mice research.
Tesla CEO Musk emphasized that his departure marks a new phase, not an end, for the DOGE initiative. “This is not the end of DOGE but really the beginning. My time as a special government employee really had to end—it was a limited time. The DOGE will only grow stronger with time,” Musk said.
He also pledged to remain involved as an informal adviser to the administration. “I expect to continue to provide advice whenever the president would like advice,” Musk said. “I expect to remain a friend and an adviser and certainly, if there’s anything the president wants me to do, I’m at the president’s service.” Trump responded warmly, saying, “I hope so.”
On Thursday, Musk had posted his official resignation on X, stating, “As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President Donald Trump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending. The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”
Musk previously expressed dissatisfaction with Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which he criticized for increasing the federal deficit. “I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit—not decreases it—and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing,” he stated. “I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful, but I don’t know if it can be both.”
(ANI)
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