Trump wants Elon Musk to stay ‘as long as possible’ but admits he’s ‘going to have to leave’ at some point

WASHINGTON, DC: If Donald Trump had it his way, Elon Musk would probably never leave his administration.

The president made it clear on Thursday, April 3, that he wants the billionaire Tesla and SpaceX mogul to stick around “as long as possible”—especially after Musk’s team at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) reportedly uncovered something “horrible".

Trump wouldn’t say what exactly they found, but he teased that it’s big.

“[DOGE] found something today that’s horrible. It’s horrible — you’ll find out very soon," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. “What they found is incredible, and we give [Musk] a lot of credit. He’s got some very smart people," the POTUS added.

Elon Musk has a short-term role—but Donald Trump wants more

Elon Musk, who has been spearheading government cost-cutting efforts as the head of DOGE, is technically only allowed to serve for 130 consecutive days under federal regulations. That means his time in government will be up by May 30, the New York Post reported.

But Trump isn’t ready to let him go just yet.

"I want Elon to stay as long as possible," the president said before rattling off exactly why he wants the tech tycoon in his inner circle, "Number one: I like him. Number two: He’s doing a great job. Number three: He is a patriot."

Trump doubled down: "I'd keep him as long as I can keep him. He's a very talented guy. You know, I love very smart people. He's very smart. And he's done a good job."

Musk’s cost-cutting team at DOGE has reportedly “found numbers that nobody can even believe,” Trump added.

Could Elon Musk take on another role?

Since Elon Musk’s days as DOGE chief are numbered, one reporter asked whether Trump would appoint him to another government position to keep him around.

"I would," Trump responded. "I think Elon’s great."

But he also acknowledged that the billionaire has “a number of companies to run”—Tesla, SpaceX, and Starlink, to name a few. 

“We’re in no rush, but there will be a point in time in which Elon’s going to have to leave,” Trump said.

While Musk’s exit from DOGE seems inevitable, Trump suggested he’d happily keep him.

"He can stay as long as he likes," the president said.

Even with Musk’s expected departure, Trump made it clear that the cost-cutting work won’t stop. His Cabinet secretaries are expected to “take totally over,” with DOGE staffers transitioning into permanent roles inside federal agencies.

"We have a lot of smart people," Trump said of Musk’s team. "A lot of those people, I believe, are going to go into the agencies and then work on it from the inside," he said.

Meanwhile, DOGE itself is set to be completely dissolved by July 4, 2026, per Trump’s executive order.

Elon Musk’s take on his DOGE departure

Elon Musk, for his part, seems to be sticking to the original plan. During a recent interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, Musk was asked whether he’d extend his time in the Trump administration past the 130-day limit.

"You, technically, are a special government employee, and you're supposed to be 130 days," Baier said, further asking, "Are you going to continue past that, or do you think that's what you're going to do?"

"I think we will have accomplished most of the work required to reduce the deficit by a trillion dollars within that time frame," Musk responded.

Despite this, speculation has been swirling about Musk’s departure timeline. A Politico report claimed that "Trump has told his inner circle & members of his Cabinet" that Musk would "be stepping back in the coming weeks from his current role."

But White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt immediately shut down the rumor.

"This ‘scoop’ is garbage," she posted to X on Wednesday, April 2.

"Elon Musk and President Trump have both *publicly* stated that Elon will depart from public service as a special government employee when his incredible work at DOGE is complete," she added.