Elon Musk wrapped up his time with President Trump’s administration on Friday with a lengthy press conference during which both men heaped praise on one other in what seemed like an attempt to shut down any suggestions of friction between them.
Trump said that despite his status of special government employee ending Friday, Musk is “really not leaving.”
Hes going to be back and forth, I think, Trump told reporters in the ornately embellished Oval Office. He added that DOGE (the Department of Government Efficiency) was Musk’s “baby.”
Musk stood by Trump, sporting a bruise near his eye he said was from “horsing around” with his 5-year-old son. When asked about his future role in government, Musk deferred to the president.
“I expect to continue to provide advice whenever the president would like advice,” he said. “I expect to remain a friend and an advisor and certainly if there’s anything the president wants me to do, I’m at the president’s service.”
A 130-day experiment in government disruption
The conference marked the end of one of the most turbulent governmental periods in history. For the past 130 days, Musk took a spot as one of Trump’s most visible employees after spending hundreds of millions of dollars on his campaign.
In that role, he powered an efficiency drive that he said was meant to cut $1 trillion from the federal budget by October 1. During that process, the agency cut wide swaths of important government agencies, amassed a number of lawsuits on the legality of its actions, and is still far short of its budget-cutting goal.
At the same time, Musk’s public perception dropped for not only him but his handful of companies. Investors voiced concerns that Musk was spending too much time in Washington, D.C., rather than focusing on running his businesses. Tesla, for example, has struggled with lagging sales in Europe and China, as well as consumer protests at its showrooms.
“This ends a dark chapter for Musk and Tesla,” Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said in an email. Tesla stock is set to end the month up more than 24%.
