- After Elon Musk announced he would be leaving his role in the Trump administration, he joined the president for a press conference where they confirmed they're still friends.
- As Trump praised Musk and DOGE for their efforts, he also read off examples of saving they made, such as cutting spending on hotels for immigrants living in the country illegally.
- The pair answered a variety of questions, including whether colonizing Mars or cutting government spending would be more difficult.
On Elon Musk’s last day as a top adviser in the Trump administration he took part in a press conference with President Donald Trump where the tech billionaire was complimented for the many contributions he’s made to the country.
On Friday, Trump praised Musk and the efforts of the whole DOGE team. For his part, Musk emphasized that this is not the end of DOGE, and the two answered questions about former President Joe Biden, the Russia-Ukraine war, building cars in America and tariffs on China.
As reported by the Deseret News, Musk is leaving the Department of Government Efficiency after a bumpy chapter marked by thousands of layoffs of federal employees, the closing of multiple agencies, and challenges in both the courts and at his own companies.
Since Trump’s inauguration in January, Musk has been leading DOGE as a “special government employee.”
Musk, the world’s richest person, gained political fame over the last year after he spent around $250 million on Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign. The entrepreneur then gained more influence after being appointed to lead DOGE, and for a time was a key player in Republican Party politics.
The Associated Press reported that Musk first promised to cut spending by $2 trillion, but later reduced that number to $1 trillion, later again lowering it to around $150 billion.
Recently, Musk criticized the Trump-backed “big, beautiful bill.” He also said that, in the future, he would be spending a “lot less” on political campaigns than he did before, as previously reported by the Deseret News.
Trump announced Friday’s press conference on Truth Social, saying, ”This will be his last day, but not really, because he will, always, be with us, helping all the way. Elon is terrific!"
What Trump and Musk said during their press conference
Praise for Musk’s efforts
“Today it’s about a man named Elon and he’s one of the greatest business leaders and innovators the world has ever produced,” Trump said as he read off a paper on his desk.
Not only did Trump praise Musk himself, but also the entire DOGE team, referring to them as “geniuses with an engineering mindset.”
What DOGE accomplished under Musk
Musk shared that DOGE has cut $160 billion in government spending and that number continues to climb.
Trump also read off multiple numbers of savings and cuts that have been done thanks to DOGE.
Some examples he shared were: $101 million of diversity, equity and inclusion spending in the Department of Education, $59 million in hotel rooms for “illegal aliens,” and $42 million for social and behavioral change in Uganda.
“I could sit here all day and read things just like that,” the president said.
Not the end of DOGE
Though Musk’s goal of cutting $2 trillion in spending has yet to be reached, he emphasized that, despite him leaving, it is not the end of DOGE, and that, over time, the department is still on track to reach that goal.
When speaking about DOGE, Musk said “it’s like a way of life,” such as Buddhism, and that it is “permeating through the government.”
Musk said that DOGE will continue its efforts in “relentlessly pursuing $1 trillion in waste and fraud reduction.”
Was DOGE worth it for Musk?
During the press conference, both Trump and Musk spoke about the backlash and attacks that Musk faced as he led DOGE.
“Some of the media organizations were the slingers,” Musk said.
Asked if the experience was worth it for him, Musk responded that DOGE took a lot of blame for things that they weren’t responsible for.
“If there were any cuts anywhere, people assumed that was done by DOGE,” he said, adding that “it became a bit ridiculous.”
When asked what the biggest roadblock was that DOGE faced while trying to cut government spending, Musk simply said that it was just a lot of hard work.
He added there wasn’t one group or person that was inhibiting their effort.
How Musk will be involved going forward
Both Musk and Trump said that the tech billionaire will continue to be a friend and adviser to the president even as he leaves his formal role with DOGE.
New York Times reports on Musk’s drug use
On Friday morning, The New York Times reported that during the 2024 presidential campaign, Musk was “using drugs far more intensely than previously known.”
During Friday’s press conference, one reporter attempted to ask Musk about the alleged drug use.
As soon as the reporter brought up The New York Times, he was immediately shut down as Musk railed against the paper “for their lies about the Russiagate hoax” and then said, “Let’s move on.”
Trump, Musk talk slaps, cars and Mars
After Trump and Musk finished their remarks, they opened it up to questions from reporters and were asked about a variety of topics.
Earlier this week, video was captured of French President Emmanuel Macron being slapped by his wife Brigitte. Trump was asked to give the pair marital advice.
“Make sure the door remains closed,” Trump replied, adding that he’s not worried about their relationship. “They’re fine.”
Trump was also asked about former White House aides who allegedly covered up former President Joe Biden’s decline while he was in office. He spent multiple minutes talking about an autopen conspiracy theory, saying that presidents should be signing things themselves.
When Musk was asked about the impact of tariffs on Tesla, the president answered the question for him praising Musk for assembling most of his cars in the U.S. but adding that several parts are still imported by Tesla and its competitors. Trump said that will stop.
“You build a car,” Trump said, “make it in America.”
One softball question that was thrown to Musk was about which would be more difficult: colonizing Mars or cutting government spending.
“It’s a tough call,” Musk replied. He went on to say that Mars would be tougher, but he did detail the difficulties about sifting through government spending and cutting it.