Elon Musk wore a dark ‘DOGE’ hat to a press conference President Donald Trump held to bid him farewell.
Musk sported a black cap with the acronyms for the Department of Government Efficiency, which he announced he is stepping back from after leading it for months.
The tech billionaire stood behind Trump in the Oval Office on Friday afternoon as the president praised his contributions.
‘We find that government is a little bit nasty at times,’ said Trump.
‘Today it’s about a man named Elon and he’s one of the greatest business leaders and innovators the world has ever produced.
‘We appreciate it and just want to say that Elon has worked tirelessly.’
Trump added: ‘He had to go through the slings and the arrows, which is a shame.’
‘This is not the end of DOGE but the beginning,’ said Musk.
He reiterated that DOGE will only become stronger within the federal government.
‘I liken it to Buddhism, it’s like a way of life. It’s permeating throughout government,’ he said.
‘I’ll continue to be here and be a friend and adviser to the president.’
Trump teased the presser on Thursday night on his Truth Social platform.
‘I am having a Press Conference tomorrow at 1:30 P.M. EST, with Elon Musk, at the Oval Office. This will be his last day, but not really, because he will, always, be with us, helping all the way,’ wrote Trump.
‘Elon is terrific! See you tomorrow at the White House.’
The conference happened two days after Musk announced on his X (formerly Twitter) platform that ‘my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end’.
‘I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,’ he wrote, adding that DOGE’s ‘mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government’.
While stepping back from DOGE and the Trump administration, Musk took a swipe at the president’s domestic policy bill, which could pile on trillions of dollars to the national debt.
‘I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing,’ the tech billionaire told CBS News’ Sunday Morning.
In his response, Trump refrained from criticising Musk and suggested that the high price tag comes from tough politics in the House, which passed it last week.
‘We will be negotiating that bill. I’m not happy about certain aspects of it, but I’m thrilled by other aspects of it,’ Trump said.
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