‘As long as possible’: Donald Trump wants Elon Musk to stay in administration
The President says he wants Elon Musk to stick around for “as long as possible”, contradicting reports the billionaire was on the outs.
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President Donald Trump said he wants Elon Musk to stay on his team “as long as possible” during a conversation with reporters, adding the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) had found something “horrible” without divulging details.
The President made his remarks during a conversation with reporters on Air Force One, Fox News reports, after Mr Trump was asked how much longer the billionaire would stay on as a “special government employee”.
The questions followed a report from Politico this week claiming Mr Trump had told his inner circle that Mr Musk will be departing his DOGE role soon. The report cited internal frustrations with the Tesla CEO’s “unpredictability” and his potential to be a “political liability”.
“Elon is fantastic. He’s a patriot,” Mr Trump told reporters, adding Mr Musik can stay at the White House “as long as he’d like” and that he personally wants him to stay “as long as possible”.
“I like smart people, and he’s a smart person. I also like him, personally. We’re in no rush. But there will be a point at which time Elon’s going to have to leave.”
“Special government employees” are permitted to work for the US government for “no more than 130 days in a 365-day period”, according to data from the Office of Government Ethics. Mr Musk’s 130-day time frame, which began on Inauguration Day, will expire on May 30.
When asked if he would consider appointing Mr Musk to a different post to keep him around longer, Mr Trump said that could be a possibility.
“I would. I think Elon’s great,” the President said.
“But he also has a company to run, or a number of companies to run.”
According to Mr Trump, “the secretaries” within his cabinet will take over the work Mr Musk has been doing with DOGE upon Mr Musk’s exit.
That work, he added, found something “horrible” and “incredible” on Friday, but the leader would not divulge further details to reporters.
Mr Musk’s work with DOGE officially began after Mr Trump signed an executive order establishing the office on January 20. The role of “special government employee” was created in 1962 to permit the executive or legislative branch to hire temporary employees for specific short-term initiatives.
When asked for a specific date of Mr Musk’s potential departure, the President responded that it could be as long as “a few months”.
“I’d keep him as long as I can keep him,” Mr Trump told reporters earlier this week.
“He’s a very talented guy. You know, I love very smart people. He’s very smart. And he’s done a good job.”
The President added on Air Force One that he envisions many of the employees working under Mr Musk at DOGE will eventually find their way into full-time positions in various federal agencies.
This article originally appeared on Fox News and was reproduced with permission
Originally published as ‘As long as possible’: Donald Trump wants Elon Musk to stay in administration
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