Trump holds farewell ceremony for billionaire Elon Musk at the White House
May 31, 2025
New York [US], May 31: US President Donald Trump held a farewell ceremony for billionaire Elon Musk in the Oval Office (White House), ending the Tesla CEO's 4-month journey at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Speaking in the Oval Office on May 30, President Trump praised billionaire Elon Musk as the leader of DOGE who has "made a huge difference to the old way of doing things in Washington" during his more than four months as a special staffer in the administration. The president emphasized that even without Musk's leadership, DOGE's work will continue.
"Elon Musk's service to America is unparalleled in modern history. He has run one of the most innovative auto companies in the world," the US president added.
"He's not really leaving. He's going to come and go. I think, I have a feeling - DOGE is his brainchild, and I think he's going to have a lot more work to do," Trump added.
In the Oval Office , Mr. Trump presented Mr. Musk with a golden key. "As a gift from our country. Thank you, Mr. Elon Musk. Take care of yourself," Mr. Trump said as he handed Mr. Musk the gift.
After receiving a symbolic key from President Trump, Mr. Musk affirmed that DOGE is doing very well and they will continue to be effective.
Mr. Musk said that streamlining the government was more difficult than he expected, but expressed confidence that DOGE would eventually achieve greater savings. "It's just a huge undertaking considering the enormous costs of the federal government and it really raises a lot of questions," the billionaire said, according to Reuters.
"I look forward to remaining a friend and an advisor, and certainly, if there is anything that Mr. Trump would like me to do, I will be available to serve the president," Mr. Musk said.
President Trump appointed billionaire Musk to lead DOGE in January as part of his efforts to reform the government and save money. Reuters reported that DOGE has managed to cut nearly 12% of the government, or 260,000 civil servants and government employees.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
