Trump thanks Musk as Tesla CEO prepares to scale back govt role

President Donald Trump has publicly thanked Elon Musk for his contributions to the administration’s cost-reduction agenda, as the billionaire entrepreneur prepares to reduce his involvement in Washington and shift focus back to Tesla, AFP reported. 

The remarks came during a White House cabinet meeting on Wednesday, which may be Musk’s last in his unofficial role as head of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

“You’re invited to stay as long as you want,” Trump told Musk during the meeting, but acknowledged that the Tesla CEO may be eager to return to running his company full-time. 

“You really have sacrificed a lot. They treated you very unfairly,” he added, referring to public backlash against Musk’s political role.

Musk has served as a close adviser to Trump on budget and public sector reform initiatives. However, his involvement has coincided with a wave of negative publicity for Tesla, including vandalism at its showrooms and consumer boycotts in both the United States and Europe. 

Critics have linked these incidents to unpopular public service cuts Musk supported as part of his work with DOGE.

Musk himself acknowledged the criticism, joking: “They did like to burn my cars, which is not great.”

David Sacks, a Musk ally and fellow administration adviser, said last week that Musk is not leaving entirely but will transition to a reduced role.

“Once he feels he has the right people in place and a clear model, he moves into a maintenance mode,” Sacks said, comparing it to Musk’s previous approach during his 2022 takeover of Twitter.

While Musk’s exit from day-to-day government involvement may ease tensions for Tesla, it also raises questions about the future of Trump’s cost-cutting programme, which has relied heavily on Musk’s influence and visibility.