Vice President Vance said Thursday that billionaire Elon Musk will remain a “friend and adviser” to the White House after he leaves his position as a special government employee next month.
Musk is leading the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) efforts to reduce the size and scope of the federal government, but his special government employee status expires at the end of May. Vance made it clear that Musk would not leave President Trump’s orbit once he left his official government position.
“Of course, he will continue as an adviser. And, by the way, DOGE’s work is far from done. “Elon’s work is far from finished,” Vance told “Fox & Friends” co-host Lawrence Jones in an interview.
“Doge has a lot of work to do. “And, yes, that work will continue after Elon leaves,” Vance added. “But, fundamentally, Elon will remain a friend and adviser to both me and the president. And he has done a lot of good things.
People do not realize how large and uncontrollable the bureaucracy was. We’ve begun to make progress, but there is still much work to be done. It is not going to happen in six months; it will require a long and dedicated effort.”
White House officials have dismissed a Politico report claiming that Trump has told close advisers that Musk’s time in government is coming to an end. Trump acknowledged earlier this week that Musk would eventually leave to run his companies.
Musk has been a close adviser to Trump since his election victory last November. He is a regular visitor to the White House, and the Tesla CEO travels with Trump on Air Force One.
Trump has publicly praised Musk as a “patriot” and attempted to boost Tesla, including buying one of the company’s vehicles at the White House. Some Trump administration officials, including Cabinet members, have been frustrated by Musk’s excessive influence.
Musk has come under fire from Democrats and critics, who see him as an unelected official with significant conflicts of interest through his businesses who is proposing massive government cuts.
