Elon Musk joined President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Friday for a public appearance marking what is believed to be Musk’s final day with the Trump administration.
During the event, Trump commended Musk’s efforts, saying, "Honored to he with Elon. He is my friend and has done a fantastic job. He did not need this."
The Friday appearance came just after Musk resigned from his DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) role, having voiced concerns about Trump's spending bills potentially increasing the deficit.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Thursday stepped down as a 'Special Government Employee' amid widespread protests.
Musk thanked US President Donald Trump for giving him an opportunity to reduce the wasteful spending by the government.
In a post on X, he said, "As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President Donald Trump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending. The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government."
Musk had earlier, flagged concerns about Trump's sweeping tax and spending cuts package, saying in a video released on Tuesday that he believes it would raise the US budget deficit and undercut efforts by the Department of Government Efficiency, as per CNN.
According to a interview give to CNN by Elon Musk, he was quotes as saying, "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."
"I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful, but I don't know if it can be both," he added.
DOGE is poised to continue its work even as Musk steps back, with staffers to remain in place, embedded across federal agencies, for months or years to come.
