Just days after Elon Musk announced the termination of his 134-day tenure at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on social media, a final-day press conference was held. Chaired by US President Donald Trump with Musk standing by his side, the duo addressed questions in the Oval Office. “The DOGE team will only grow stronger over time and the DOGE influence will only grow stronger,” said Musk as he predicted the future for the federal agency. Reiterating Trump’s claims, he added, “This is not the end of DOGE, but really the beginning”.
Wearing a black cap embroidered in DOGE lettering and a T-shirt that read “Dogefather”, he remarked how DOGE was more than an agency but a “lifestyle like Buddhism”. He set out with an aim to cut costs by $2 trillion, however he did take the win of saving over $150 billion for the Trump administration.
Elon Musk’s golden key
Presented with a golden key to the White House, Trump made this gesture “reserved for special people” for Musk as he returns to his private business ventures after his “scheduled time” at DOGE. There was no official announcement from the Trump government before Musk’s announcement as he stepped down and reportedly no communication between the Musk and Trump.
As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending.
The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 29, 2025
However, at the farewell briefing, the two seemed close. “Elon gave an incredible service nobody like him, because he’s an incredible patriot. The good news is that 90% of the country knows that and they appreciate it and they really appreciate what he did,” said Trump at the press-conference.
The future of DOGE
As speculations rise whether DOGE will continue to function as an agency, Musk expressed how he “will continue to remain a friend” as his co-lead Vivek Ramaswamy is rumoured to take his spot. DOGE will retain most of its employees as per reports and its continued motive of saving and “cutting-costs” is set to be a steadfast reality as per Trump in the time to come.
Musk is recalibrate his focus towards his ventures like Tesla, X and SpaceX. However, as per his statement, he will “continue to be visiting here and be a friend and advisor to the President,” bidding farewell to brief time at DOGE.