Musk reacts to report claiming Trump said X boss ‘will be stepping back’; White House calls it ‘garbage’

Elon Musk has reacted to a Politico report that claimed that US President Donald Trump has reportedly told his inner circle and Cabinet members that Elon Musk will be stepping back from his current position as governing partner, ubiquitous cheerleader and Washington hatchet man in the coming weeks.

"Yeah, fake news," wrote Musk, responding to a post on X by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who said, "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," Leavitt said.

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Yeah, fake news https://t.co/nPhTpZj3Fc

What did the report say?

While Trump is pleased with Musk’s work and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), both men have decided that Musk would return to his businesses and take on a supporting role, the report added citing three Trump insiders.

Musk’s retreat comes amid criticism from Trump administration officials and outside allies, who have increasingly viewed the billionaire as a political liability.

This also highlights a stark shift in the Trump-Musk relationship from a month earlier, when allies were predicting that Musk was “here to stay” and Trump would move past the 130-day time limit.

According to Politico, a senior administration official said that Musk is likely to remain as an informal adviser and would be an occasional presence at the White House, while another official cautioned anyone who thinks Musk would entirely disappear is “fooling themselves”.

Special government employee status

Musk’s “special government employee” status of 130 days, which temporarily exempted him from some ethics and conflict-of-interest rules, is expected to expire in late May or early June.

Musk’s administration defenders believe that the time is right for a transition, and he has given what he could in his efforts to cut from government agencies without shaving too close to the bone.

However, many others see him as an unpredictable and unmanageable force who does not communicate his plans with Cabinet members and has issues with the White House chain of command led by staff Susie Wiles, frequently sending unexpected comments on his social media platform X.

During a Cabinet meeting on March 24, Trump told his attendees that Musk would be transitioning out of the administration, reported Politico, citing an insider who did not attend the meeting but was briefed on the comments. A senior official of the Trump administration confirmed that the president discussed Musk’s transition in the meeting.

Recently, Trump told reporters on Monday (Mar 31), “At some point, Elon’s going to want to go back to his company,” adding: “He wants to. I’d keep him as long as I could keep him.”

Hinting publicly at a transition, Musk told Fox News in an interview last week that he would be ready to leave when his special government status expires. He said, “I think we will have accomplished most of the work required to reduce the deficit by $1 trillion within that time frame.”

(With inputs from agencies)