In WP Interview:
"DOGE Is a Scapegoat"
Elon Musk, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tesla and head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under the Donald Trump administration, announced on the 28th (local time) that he will be leaving the Trump administration.
On this day, CEO Musk wrote on his social media platform X (formerly Twitter), "My term as a special government employee is coming to an end," and added, "I would like to thank President Donald Trump for giving me the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending." He continued, "The DOGE mission will become a way of life that permeates the government and will only grow stronger over time."
The Associated Press, citing White House sources, reported that CEO Musk will be completely leaving the Trump administration.
Special government employees, who are exempt from certain federal employee ethics and conflict-of-interest regulations, cannot work for the government for more than 130 days per year. CEO Musk had previously stated during Tesla's earnings conference call on the 22nd of last month that he had completed most of his DOGE duties and would now focus on managing Tesla.
In a pre-recorded interview with CBS's "Sunday Morning" aired the previous day, CEO Musk criticized the so-called "one big, beautiful bill," a tax cut initiative promoted by President Trump, saying it undermined the work of the Department of Government Efficiency. He expressed his disappointment, stating, "I was disappointed to see a massive spending bill that increases the fiscal deficit."
According to the Washington Post (WP), CEO Musk said in an interview with the outlet the previous day, "The Department of Government Efficiency has become the whipping boy for everything," and lamented, "Whenever something bad happens somewhere, we get blamed even if we had nothing to do with it." He also expressed disappointment over the damage to his company's reputation, saying, "People were burning Teslas. Why would they do that? It's truly a terrible thing."
The WP reported that CEO Musk has now relocated to the SpaceX launch site in southern Texas, far removed from the political scene, and is once again focusing on his company. The article also noted that the MAGA hat he used to wear at the White House and his combative attitude toward mainstream media have disappeared.
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