Elon Musk bids farewell to DOGE and his cost-cutting duties

Elon Musk on Friday, marking the end of the 130-day maximum time he can work as a "special government employee," said goodbye to his oft-controversial work of rooting out waste, fraud and abuse to save taxpayers money. 

President Donald Trump hosted a farewell event for Musk in the Oval Office. 

During the joint press conference, Trump praised Musk as "one of the greatest business leaders and innovators" and presented him with a ceremonial golden key emblazoned with the White House insignia, emphasizing that Musk would remain an adviser despite returning to his companies, Tesla, SpaceX, and X. 

As the chairman and de facto leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), he focused on streamlining federal operations to increase efficiency and reduce what many believe is an enormous amount of bureaucratic waste. 

Musk, wearing a "Dogefather" t-shirt and sporting a visible black eye from playing with his son, defended DOGE’s efforts, claiming the initiative had saved $175 billion, though these figures are disputed due to errors and overestimates on the DOGE website. 

"I look forward to continuing to be a friend and advisor to the president," Musk said after Trump handed him the golden key.

After being appointed by Trump in late 2024, Musk has worked alongside Vivek Ramaswamy (who departed DOGE and is now running for governor of Ohio) to identify and eliminate redundant government programs and regulations. 

His team updated its findings daily on a website (DOGE-tracker.com) and proposed significant cuts to federal agencies, aiming to reduce the national budget by billions annually, with a target completion date of July 4, 2026. 

Critics have argued that his aggressive cost-cutting goals slash essential services, while supporters have praised his vision for a leaner, more effective government.