Washington: Tech billionaire Elon Musk has refuted reports claiming he will soon step down from his role in US President Donald Trump's administration, dismissing the news as "fake" in a post on X. The Politico report suggested that President Trump had informed his cabinet that Musk would be leaving his position as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) within weeks. However, both Musk and the White House have denied the claims, insisting that he will remain in his role until his work is complete.
Musk, who was appointed as a special government employee to lead efforts in reducing federal spending and dismantling government agencies, took to X to respond to the speculation, writing simply, "Yeah, fake news."
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also dismissed the report as "garbage," reiterating that Musk will step down only after completing his mandate. "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 wrote.
The DOGE initiative, under Musk's leadership, has already executed sweeping reductions in government contracts and workforce, with reports suggesting his efforts could slash $1 trillion in federal spending.
Trump's Liberation Day speech: Top quotes
In a much-awaited speech at the White House, President Donald Trump said that April 2, 2025, would "forever be remembered as the day American industry was reborn", and announced the 'kind' and 'discounted' reciprocal tariffs on as many as 180 countries. Reaffirming his hardline trade stance, Trump declared he would block imports into the US unless they faced what he deemed an "appropriate tariff". He also asked other countries to embrace "a little tough love". Here are the top quotes from Trump's tariff talk... ◉ "For decades, our country has been looted, pillaged, raped, and plundered by nations near and far, both friend and foe alike... We are being very kind. We will charge them approximately half of what they are and have been charging us". ◉ Referring to India, Trump recounted his conversation with PM Narendra Modi: "He's a great friend of mine. But I said, 'You're a friend of mine, but you haven't been treating us right'. They charge us 52 per cent, but we charge them almost nothing for years and decades. It was only seven years ago when I came in". ◉ "The United States can no longer continue with the policy of unilateral economic surrender. We cannot pay the deficits of Canada, Mexico and so many other countries. We used to do it. We can't do it anymore". ◉ "US taxpayers have been ripped off for more than 50 years. But it is not going to happen anymore." ◉ "Jobs and factories will come roaring back into our country, and you see it happening already." |
