Report: Trump announces Musk's withdrawal
According to media reports, the US President is preparing the White House for the departure of his special envoy Elon Musk. His status expires in May.
Elon Musk and Donald Trump in front of a Cybertruck.
(Image: WeiĂźes Haus)
According to media reports, US President Donald Trump is already preparing his entourage for the imminent departure of Elon Musk. Trump has told his inner circle of advisors and cabinet members that Musk will retire in the coming weeks, the US magazine Politico and ABC News reported on Wednesday, citing government circles.
Musk has the status of a "special government employee", which automatically expires after 130 days. While observers initially assumed that the US government could nevertheless continue Musk's role, Trump and Musk himself have recently repeatedly indicated that this would be the end of it. However, Musk is likely to continue to play a role in the White House as an advisor.
"Special government employee"
As a Special Government Employee (SGE), Musk has scrutinized US government spending and slashed the budgets of federal agencies. Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was particularly controversial due to the liquidation of the USAid agency, which also funds numerous political activities abroad under the banner of development and emergency aid.
Musk's work in the US government is highly controversial. While Trump is fulfilling an election promise that his voters largely approve of, the austerity dictate is also being sharply criticized. The scientific community, among others, is up in arms against deep cuts to university budgets because the US government is cutting funding programs.
Musk's 130 days expire at the end of May. In a recent TV interview, Musk dodged the question of whether he wants to continue beyond that: "I think we'll have done most of it by then," he said, referring to the plan to reduce the US government's deficit by one trillion US dollars.
Musk's time is running out
Trump has also already hinted at Musk's imminent departure. The US President said on Monday that he expected Musk to return to his companies. "He's great, but he has a great company to run," said Trump. "At some point, he will return to that. That's what he wants."
Musk's company Tesla announced its sales figures for the first quarter of 2025 on Wednesday. According to the figures, the vehicle manufacturer delivered 13 percent fewer e-cars than in the same period last year. This had a noticeable dampening effect on Tesla shares, but the share price turned positive again towards the evening. (vbr)
