Elon Musk is expected to step down from his high-profile role in the Trump administration in the coming weeks, as the billionaire's legally mandated 130-day service cap as a special government employee nears its limit, according to multiple people familiar with the matter. The departure marks a pivotal moment in the president's "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE), an aggressive initiative led by Musk that has overseen sweeping cuts to federal agencies since January.
"He's got a big company to run ... at some point he's going to be going back," President Trump told reporters Monday. "I'd keep him as long as I could keep him."
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO joined the administration as an unvetted adviser following Trump's inauguration and rapidly became the face of one of the most aggressive downsizing campaigns in modern federal history. His DOGE initiative has overseen the termination of roughly 56,000 federal employees, with another 75,000 accepting voluntary buyouts. An additional 171,000 job reductions are planned, according to internal figures reported by The New York Times.
White House officials say Musk's role will formally conclude in late May or early June. Although the administration once claimed Musk was "here to stay," the shift reflects both statutory limits on his tenure and rising internal discomfort with his unorthodox management style and political unpredictability.
"Elon has been instrumental in executing the President's agenda, and will continue this good work until the President says otherwise," said White House spokesperson Harrison Fields.
The DOGE initiative has shuttered or gutted several government programs, including humanitarian agency USAID and the state-run Voice of America. Musk's defenders inside the administration claim DOGE has saved $140 billion to date, a figure critics say contains flawed calculations. Musk has claimed publicly, "I think we will have accomplished most of the work required to reduce the deficit by $1 trillion within that time frame."
But Musk's polarizing influence has begun to wear thin among Trump's inner circle. His $20 million investment in Wisconsin's Supreme Court race, where the Musk-backed candidate lost by double digits, triggered fresh concerns over his growing role in GOP electoral strategy. A Marquette Law School poll found just 41% of Americans approve of DOGE's work, while Musk's personal favorability rating lags behind at 38%. A Quinnipiac poll in March showed that over half the country believes Musk and DOGE are harming the nation.
Insiders say the White House began preparing for Musk's transition at a March 24 Cabinet meeting, where Trump told aides that Musk would soon shift into an informal advisory role. One senior official said, "Anyone who thinks Musk is going to disappear entirely from Trump's orbit is fooling themselves."
Administration officials have clashed with Musk over communication breakdowns, including his habit of announcing sweeping policy decisions on X without White House coordination.
Despite those tensions, Trump has remained personally supportive. At a recent Cabinet meeting, the president praised Musk as "a patriot" and "a friend of mine," referencing death threats and vandalism against Tesla vehicles since Musk joined the administration.
