White House confirms Musk will leave government service on schedule next month

Musk is considered a "special government employee" which means he can only work for the government for 130 days in a one year period. This means Musk will need to leave federal service by May 30.

By Misty Severi

Published: April 2, 2025 3:52pm

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday confirmed Elon Musk will leave his position as a "special government employee" next month as planned, after he completes his work with the Department of Government Efficiency.

Recent news reports have tried to indicate that Musk's departure was unexpected, but the White House has long stated that his role was temporary, hence his status as a special employee. Special employees can only work for the government for 130 days in a one-year period. This means Musk will need to leave federal service by May 30.

Leavitt was responding to a report from Politico on Wednesday that claimed President Donald Trump has told his staff and the Cabinet that Musk was preparing to leave in the coming weeks, which she claimed was a non-story.

"This ‘scoop’ is garbage," Leavitt posted to X. "Elon Musk and President Trump have both *publicly* stated that Elon will depart from public service as a special government employee when his incredible work at DOGE is complete."

Musk is currently helping the Trump administration drastically restructure the federal government, and cut down on wasteful spending. Musk previously said that he expects his work will be completed on time.

"Politico has become a tabloid paper that would rather run fake news for clicks than real reporting," White House spokesman Harrison Fields told Fox News. "This is exactly why President Trump and DOGE have terminated millions of dollars in wasteful, government contracts to so-called news organizations that have diminished their credibility with the American people."

The criticism also comes during a period of heightened tensions between the current administration and the press. The White House recently pulled the Associated Press' credentials to the Oval Office, Air Force One and other key areas. But they still have access to the White House grounds and press room.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.