Elon Musk not stepping down as DOGE chief anytime soon, slams ‘fake news’

Elon Musk, White House said that the DOGE chief will not be stepping down anytime soon

Updated on: Apr 3, 2025, 01:38:47 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Elon Musk and the White House on Wednesday slammed Politico and other media outlets for reporting that the billionaire will ‘step down’ as the Department of Government Efficiency's head. This comes after it was reported that President Donald Trump has ‘informed his inner circle’ that his special adviser will step down from all government roles.

Elon Musk said reports about him stepping down as DOGE chief are 'fake news' (REUTERS)

Reacting to a tweet about the Politico scoop, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt tweeted: “This “scoop” is garbage. 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, too, reacted to the claims. He said all reports were ‘fake news’.

Earlier in the day, Politico reported that Trump told members of his Cabinet and close contacts that Musk will soon step down from his government role. The publication further added that the president and his billionaire ally decided in recent days that the latter would return to his businesses.

This comes after shares of Musk-led Tesla have seen a sharp drop. They were down 2% early trading on Wednesday.

Trump, Musk's previous statements

Donald Trump told reporters on Monday that he thinks Musk has ‘been amazing, but I also think he’s got a big company to run ... And at some point, he’s going to be going back. He wants to’.

“I’d keep him as long as I could keep him,” the president said.

In a March 10 interview with Fox Business, Musk was asked about his plans. "You going to go another year?” Larry Kudlow asked the billionaire.

Musk replied, “Yeah, I think so.”

The Tesla CEO has been tasked with federal cost-cutting, as DOGE chief. He slashed funding to several agencies and fired staff members.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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