 "Musk will step back from key role in coming weeks, Trump informs inner circle")
President Donald Trump has informed his inner circle, including Cabinet members, that Elon Musk will be stepping back from his current roles as governing partner, prominent supporter, and political strategist in the coming weeks.
According to a Politico report, citing three Trump insiders who requested anonymity to discuss their changing relationship, while the president continues to appreciate Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency initiative, both have agreed recently that it is time for Musk to return to his business ventures and assume a more supportive role.
Musk’s looming retreat follows growing frustration among Trump administration insiders and allies over his unpredictability, with many now viewing him as a political liability. This was highlighted when a conservative judge Musk supported lost a Wisconsin Supreme Court bid by 10 points.
This shift contrasts sharply with last month, when White House officials believed Musk would remain influential and help Trump navigate political challenges.
According to the Politico report, citing a senior official, Musk is likely to keep an informal advisory role and occasionally appear at the White House, while another warned that anyone expecting him to vanish completely from Trump’s circle is “fooling themselves.”
The transition coincides with the expiry of Musk’s “special government employee” status, which exempts him from some ethics rules and is set to end in late May or early June.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsSupporters believe it’s the right time for Musk to step back, arguing he has limited room to cut further without risking vital services, reported Politico.
However, many view him as unpredictable and difficult to manage, often causing chaos with off-message comments on X, his social media platform, and sharing uncoordinated plans to overhaul federal agencies, added the report.
The political stakes were underscored Tuesday when Democrats targeted Musk’s $20 million investment in a Wisconsin race, framing it as a referendum on him.
Trump began facilitating Musk’s exit over a week before the election, including a March 24 Cabinet meeting where he announced Musk’s transition. Afterward, he invited reporters to witness his praise for Musk, who attended wearing a red MAGA hat, while Cabinet secretaries— who had previously clashed with Musk — applauded his aggressive cuts.
“Elon, I want to thank you — I know you’ve been through a lot,” Trump was quoted as saying, mentioning death threats and the spate vandalism directed at the cars built by Tesla before calling him “a patriot” and “a friend of mine.”
Both men subsequently hinted publicly at a transition. When Fox News’ Bret Baier asked Musk whether he’d be ready to leave when his special government employee status expires, he essentially declared mission accomplished.
“I think we will have accomplished most of the work required to reduce the deficit by $1 trillion within that time frame,” Musk was quoted as saying.
On Monday night, Trump told reporters that “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.”
“As the President said, this White House would love to keep Elon around for as long as possible,” Politico quoted White House spokesperson Harrison Fields as saying on Tuesday as election results from Wisconsin rolled in.
“Elon has been instrumental in executing the President’s agenda, and will continue this good work until the President says otherwise,” Fields added.
Many close to Trump are relieved that Musk is expected to step back from his central role, hoping the series of unpredictable DOGE surprises—like demanding federal workers report their output and unintentional cuts to Ebola prevention programmes—will soon end.
Their concerns also extend to Musk as a political liability, having become a rallying point for divided Democrats.
With inputs from agencies
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