Is Elon Musk stepping down from DOGE? Donald Trump shares update as Tesla CEO hints he will resign in May

The chief architect of DOGE, Elon Musk, revealed last week that he plans to step down from his role as a special government employee by the end of May. Musk is a special government employee, a category for temporary federal workers who are only supposed to work 130 days out of 365 in their roles.

Musk told Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier that he believes he can complete DOGE's stated goal of slashing $1 trillion in government spending "within that time frame," which would be by the end of May. Now, Trump has commented on the Tesla CEO stepping down from his role.

A reporter asked Trump at the Oval Office on Monday 31 March: "Is DOGE going to keep operating even without Elon here?". Trump replied: "Well, I can't tell you that.

“I can say this, that a lot of the people working with DOGE are the secretaries, the heads of the various agencies, and they've learned a lot. They're dealing with the DOGE people. I think some of them may try and keep the DOGE people with them, but you know, at a certain point, I think it will end."

DOGE has recently been sued over its access to sensitive financial and personal data of millions of Americans across government agencies, though federal judges have imposed limits on or blocked off that access in some cases. Musk's electric vehicle company, Tesla, has also been targeted by protesters who oppose his high-profile role in leading the Trump administration's government cost-cutting initiatives.

Tesla showrooms and factories across the country have been inundated with protests over the last few months and there have been multiple reports of people vandalizing, firebombing and otherwise damaging Tesla vehicles. Last week, the FBI launched a task force it said will "crack down on violent Tesla attacks."

A nationwide protest against Trump and Musk is also planned for April 5 by a movement called Indivisible. The protest is called ‘Hands Off’ and there are over 900 rallies planned in the US.

One event description read: “This is a nationwide mobilisation to stop the most brazen power grab in modern history. Trump, Musk, and their billionaire cronies are orchestrating an all-out assault on our government, our economy, and our basic rights - enabled by Congress every step of the way. Hey want to strip America for parts - shuttering Social Security offices, firing essential workers, eliminating consumer protections and gutting Medicaid - all to bankroll their billionaire tax scam.”