#Trump100Days Elon Musk Steps Away from DOGE and Trump’s Cabinet, Refocuses on Tesla
In a move that surprised few but still made headlines, Elon Musk officially announced his departure from the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and President Trump’s$TRUMP Cabinet during a meeting at the White House on April 30.
After just over three months in his federal role, the Tesla CEO told the president and his team that his focus will shift almost entirely back to his companies starting in May.
> “It’s been an honor to work with your incredible Cabinet,” Musk said during the meeting. “I want to thank everyone—this was a great experience.”
He also praised the administration’s first 100 days as historic, stating:
> “A tremendous amount has been accomplished. More than any administration before. Ever.”
Signs of the Exit Were Already There
This wasn’t entirely unexpected. On Tesla’s earnings call last week, Musk told investors he would scale back his government work to “a day or two per week” moving forward, suggesting that the initial setup phase of DOGE was complete.
Although DOGE was initially pitched as a cost-cutting revolution—with Musk promising $2 trillion in savings—it ended up delivering far less. According to Musk, the actual savings landed around $160 billion, though President Trump$TRUMP mistakenly quoted $150 billion before Musk corrected him with a grin:
> “160 billion... but who’s counting?”
Mixed Results and Missed Targets
While any government savings are noteworthy, the gap between the pitch and reality drew criticism. A recent New York Times report cited a $135 billion cost due to disruptions caused by DOGE—everything from staff layoffs and rehires to workflow slowdowns and extended leave periods.
Still, Trump expressed his appreciation:
> “You’ve really sacrificed a lot. You’ve been treated very unfairly.”
To which Musk quipped:
> “They like to burn my cars, which is not great.”
Back to Tesla—and the Future
Despite stepping back, Musk clarified he’s not abandoning DOGE completely.
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