There has been a lot of talk about Elon Musk’s job at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), especially regarding his upcoming exit. His role as a special government employee (SGE) follows federal rules that say he can only work for 130 days in a row. This rule was put in place back in 1962 to make sure temporary workers brought in for short-term projects don’t stay longer than they should.
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The White House press secretary explained that Musk’s role was always meant to be temporary and that leaving after 130 days is just following the rules. Earlier statements from both Musk and the President, as reported by Fox, also hinted that his exit was planned from the start.
While working at DOGE, Musk led major changes, including big budget cuts at several federal agencies like the US Agency for International Development, the Department of Education, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Social Security Administration. These cuts led to protests and even vandalism against Tesla cars, which caused the government to take action against those responsible.
Is Elon Musk leaving DOGE?
Musk started on January 20, 2025, so his last day is expected to be May 30, 2025, as reported by the New York Post. Both Musk and President Trump have publicly confirmed this timeline, which goes against some news reports that made it seem like his departure was sudden or surprising.
Despite the backlash, Musk’s work at DOGE also focused on reducing the national deficit. He publicly said he expected to cut the deficit by a trillion dollars during his 130-day term. As for DOGE itself, it’s still unclear what will happen after its original end date of July 4, 2026. The administration hasn’t given a clear answer on when or if the department will shut down.
While we all expect Musk to leave when his time is up, the current President tends to change his mind if he feels he needs to. So, it is really up to Trump whether Musk will leave his post. While we know the time limit, I would not presume it is set in stone.
Another controversial move was Musk’s decision to require all federal employees to submit weekly progress reports—a policy that was later adjusted. Musk also used his tech knowledge to look into why a certain person was added to a secure government messaging system.
The “special government employee” label lets the government bring in temporary workers with specific skills for short-term projects. Once his time is up, Musk should go back to focusing on his private companies, ending his temporary work for the federal government.
Published: Apr 3, 2025 10:20 am