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United States President Donald Trump on Friday praised Elon Musk as the billionaire entrepreneur prepares to formally conclude his short-term government assignment, saying the X owner will continue to play an influential role in the administration’s efforts.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said, “Many of the DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) people are staying, and Elon’s really not leaving. He’s going to be back and forth.”
“But Elon’s service to America has been without comparison in modern history,” Trump added, noting that Musk is “already running one of the most innovative car companies in the world.”
Musk, who also spoke at the press conference, emphasized that his position was always intended to be temporary.
“This is not the end of DOGE, but really the beginning,” Musk said. “My time as a special government employee necessarily had to end. It was a limited time thing. It's 134 days, I believe, which ends in a few days.”
He said the DOGE team “will only grow stronger over time,” predicting the group’s influence would expand across federal agencies.
“Our work is permeating throughout the government,” Musk claimed, projecting up to “a trillion dollars of savings and reduction in a trillion dollars of waste and fraud.”
Internal estimates from DOGE currently place the total potential savings at $175 billion—down significantly from Musk’s original $2 trillion forecast.
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