Musk stepping down as special government employee
Trump established DOGE to identify and eliminate wasteful spending as part of his effort to make the federal government more responsive to everyday Americans. Musk's organization, which is not a federal agency in the traditional sense, has overseen the elimination of grants and programs, as well as the termination of government jobs. Trump has also used DOGE to dismantle the Department of Education and the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
'As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President Trump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,' Musk wrote on his X platform Wednesday evening.
'The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government,' he added. According to The New York Times, special government employees are appointed to 'perform important, but limited, services to the government, with or without compensation, for a period not to exceed 130 days.'
An unnamed White House official confirmed to Reuters on Wednesday that Musk is leaving the administration and that his 'off-boarding will begin tonight.'
Musk recently voiced disappointment over Trump's tax and spending bill, which he said would increase the deficit and undermine DOGE's mission. He also said last week that he would like to wind down his involvement in politics because he has 'done enough.'
Trump defended the bill passed by the House last week, though he admitted on Wednesday that he was 'not happy about certain aspects.'
According to DOGE's website, the task force has helped save an estimated $175 billion in taxpayer funds. Democrats have criticized the initiative, and courts have blocked some of its actions.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
4 hours ago
- Russia Today
US senator cites Iran bombings in threat to Russia
US Senator Lindsey Graham has cited the recent bombing of Iran when issuing a veiled military threat against Russia and its trading partners, urging them to heed an ultimatum delivered this week by President Donald Trump. On Monday, Trump announced he would impose economic sanctions on Russia and countries that buy Russian goods unless the conflict in Ukraine is resolved within 50 days. Graham, who co-sponsored a bipartisan bill supporting such sanctions, backed the ultimatum by referencing last month's US military operation against Iran. 'If [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and others are wondering what happens on day 51, I would suggest they call the Ayatollah,' Graham wrote in a post on X. 'If I were a country buying cheap Russian oil, propping up Putin's war machine, I would take President Trump at his word,' he added. .@POTUS' announcement yesterday about sending American-made weapons - paid for by Europeans - to Ukraine through NATO was welcome important was his statement that if the fighting had not ended in 50 days, he would impose up to 100% tariffs on countries buying… Russian officials have maintained that no foreign pressure will prevent Moscow from pursuing its core objectives in the Ukraine conflict. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Western governments are harming their own economies by seeking to impose further restrictions. In June, Israel launched airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in what it described as a preemptive strike aimed at preventing Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. Following retaliatory attacks from Iran, Israeli officials threatened to assassinate Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. After 12 days of hostilities, the US escalated its involvement, shifting from intercepting Iranian missiles bound for Israel to directly targeting hardened nuclear infrastructure inside Iran. President Trump claimed the attacks 'obliterated' the facilities. Moscow condemned both the US and Israel for what it described as acts of aggression that undermine the international nuclear non-proliferation regime. Graham's bill, co-introduced with Senator Richard Blumenthal, proposes imposing tariffs of up to 500% on imports from countries that continue purchasing Russian raw materials. Graham described the legislation as a 'sledgehammer' that Congress should hand to Trump, with China being its primary intended target. On Tuesday, Beijing reiterated its principled opposition to sanctions. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said 'dialogue and negotiation are the only viable way' to resolve the Ukraine conflict.
Russia Today
5 hours ago
- Russia Today
Kremlin urges Trump to pressure Kiev
The Kremlin urges all nations to push Kiev to reach a negotiated settlement in the Ukraine conflict and hopes US President Donald Trump is privately doing so, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday. Earlier in the week, Trump unveiled a proposal under which NATO member states supporting Kiev would purchase American-made weapons for Ukraine's fight against Russia. He also warned that sanctions would be imposed on Russia and its trade partners unless hostilities are halted within 50 days. No similar deadline was issued for Ukraine. 'There were a lot of remarks about [Trump's] disappointment [with Russian President Vladimir Putin], but we want to hope that in parallel to that, pressure is being applied to the Ukrainian side,' Peskov told journalists. 'It appears that the Ukrainian side takes all statements of support as signals to continue war, not as signals for peace.' In public comments, Trump has alternated between assigning blame to Moscow and Kiev for the lack of progress toward his desired outcome in the conflict. His latest statements have focused on criticizing Russia. In May, Ukraine agreed to resume direct negotiations with Russia after the Trump administration indicated it expected such a step. However, talks stalled after the early June meeting, with Kiev declaring the process 'exhausted' and indicating it had only participated to avoid appearing dismissive of Trump's diplomatic agenda. Moscow has said it remains committed to achieving its core objectives in Ukraine but prefers a diplomatic solution if possible. Trump's threats were welcomed by hardliners in the US and Europe. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina issued a veiled threat of military action, writing on X that 'if Putin and others are wondering what happens on day 51, I would suggest they call the Ayatollah.' Graham referenced Iran's supreme leader, whose country was targeted last month by US and Israeli airstrikes. Officials claimed the attacks were necessary to dismantle Tehran's nuclear infrastructure and prevent the development of a nuclear weapon, a goal that Iran denies pursuing.
Russia Today
5 hours ago
- Russia Today
Ukraine confused by Trump's Patriot claim
Ukraine is unsure what US President Donald Trump meant when he announced that Kiev would receive '17 Patriots' from NATO countries, the deputy head of Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR), Major General Vadim Skibitsky, has said. When Trump made the statement during his meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Monday, he said a European member of the bloc would supply the American-made air defense systems, but did not specify if he was talking about whole batteries or separate launchers. The next day, the US president claimed that the Patriots 'are already being shipped. They are coming in from Germany and then replaced by Germany.' Skibitsky told The Guardian on Tuesday that Kiev reacted 'positively' to Trump's statement and that it was grateful for US military aid. However, he stressed that it was not clear to them how many Patriot systems Ukraine would be receiving. 'We do not know exactly,' the HUR deputy chief said. According to Skibitsky, '17 is a huge number if we are talking about batteries. If it is launchers, that is possible.' 'The US administration and the Pentagon will give us further details,' he added. A Patriot battery usually consists of six to eight launchers, a phased-array radar, a control station and a power generation station, with all of the hardware being mounted on trucks or trailers. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told the Financial Times at the weekend that Ukraine has only six Patriot batteries left, which is 'too few.' Russia has recently ramped up its missile and drone strikes on Ukraine, which it insists only hit military-related targets. According to Moscow, the bombardment is also retaliation for Kiev's attacks on Russian territory, often targeting civilians, residential buildings, and critical infrastructure. Russian officials have stressed that no amount of Western military aid to Ukraine can change the course of the conflict but only serves to prolong the bloodshed and increase the chances of a direct clash between Moscow and NATO.
