Elon Musk ‘not Really Leaving’ the US Government, Says Donald Trump

Elon Musk was “really not leaving” the US government, Donald Trump claimed at an Oval Office press briefing that had been billed as a send-off for the billionaire from his role heading the administration’s cost-cutting initiative.

Trump told the news conference on Friday that Musk, who helped bankroll his presidential campaign last year, was “going to be back and forth” between his businesses and Washington.

Musk’s time as the head of Doge came to a premature close this week after he bristled at central parts of the Trump administration’s policy agenda.

“This is not the end of Doge but really the beginning,” he said, adding the initiative was now “permeating throughout government”, with members of his team embedded in agencies.