US President Donald Trump announced on May 29 (local time) that he and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has led the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), will hold a joint press conference to mark Musk's departure from the White House.
On this day, President Trump stated on his social networking service (SNS) Truth Social, "I will hold a press conference with Elon Musk in the Oval Office of the White House on the afternoon of the 30th," making the announcement.
President Trump said, "Today is his last day, but in fact, it is not. He will always be with us and will always help us." He added, "Elon Musk is truly remarkable."
The previous day, CEO Musk posted on his social networking service (SNS) X (formerly Twitter), "My term as a special government employee is ending," and added, "I want to thank President Donald Trump for giving me the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending."
CEO Musk has worked at the Department of Government Efficiency as a special government employee, a position exempt from certain ethics and conflict-of-interest regulations, despite being a federal government official. Special government employees cannot work for the government for more than 130 days per year, which is why his term has ended.
He became one of President Trump's closest aides by serving as his largest campaign donor during the presidential election campaign. Afterwards, at the Department of Government Efficiency, he pushed for reductions in federal government spending and personnel. However, in the process, he became unpopular with the public, and Tesla stores across the United States became targets of arson and other attacks. In a recent interview with the Washington Post (WP), CEO Musk expressed concern that the Department of Government Efficiency is being scapegoated for everything and that people are setting fire to Tesla stores.
In a pre-released interview with CBS's "Sunday Morning" on May 27, ahead of this weekend's broadcast, CEO Musk criticized the so-called "One Big Beautiful Bill," a tax cut bill promoted by President Trump, saying it undermined the work of the Department of Government Efficiency. He said, "I was disappointed to see a large-scale spending bill that increases the fiscal deficit."
Meanwhile, Bloomberg News, citing sources, reported that Steve Davis, who served as CEO Musk's closest aide at the Department of Government Efficiency, is also leaving the department.
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