Trump to fire Elon Musk from White House, Politico reports

According to the outlet, Trump is satisfied with Musk and his initiative to create the Department of Government Efficiency. However, sources say Trump and Musk have decided that Musk should return to his business and take on a supportive role.

Musk's "retreat" likely comes amid some dissatisfaction within the Trump administration and among many external allies due to his unpredictability. They increasingly view Musk as a political burden. This became particularly evident after the conservative judge Musk had actively supported lost his bid for a Wisconsin Supreme Court seat by 10 points.

One of the agency's sources said that Musk is likely to retain an unofficial advisory role and continue to occasionally appear at the White House. Another source warned that anyone who thinks Musk will completely disappear from Trump's orbit is "fooling themselves."

According to insiders, the transition period will likely align with the end of Musk's status as a "special government employee" - a temporary status that exempts him from some ethics rules and conflicts of interest. This 130-day period is expected to end by late May or early June.

Musk's defenders within the Trump administration believe the time for transition has come, as they believe "there’s only so much more he can cut from government agencies."

However, most say that Musk is an unpredictable, uncontrollable force who doesn't always manage to convey his plans to cabinet secretaries and the White House leadership team, headed by Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. This includes Musk's comments on his social media platform X.

Politico writes that Trump has already discussed Musk's transition in a meeting with his administration. Meanwhile, recently, Trump thanked Musk for his work and called him a "patriot" and "a friend of mine" while speaking to journalists.

Trump told reporters that "at some point Elon’s going to want to go back to his company," adding, "He wants to. I’d keep him as long as I could keep him."

However, many close to Trump are feeling increasingly relieved that Musk will soon step back from his central role in Trump's camp, and that a series of DOGE-related surprises - from weekend email blasts demanding federal workers to list their results to accidental cuts to Ebola prevention programs - may finally come to an end.

Musk's work at DOGE

Last year, Elon Musk actively supported Donald Trump's presidential campaign, investing millions of dollars into it.

After Trump's victory, Musk was appointed to lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency - DOGE.

The department's goal was to audit government activities and reduce federal government and budget expenditures.

Recently, US Vice President J.D. Vance publicly commented on Musk's work and the department. According to him, the billionaire made a number of mistakes.

At the beginning of March, Politico reported that US President Donald Trump had limited Musk's powers after mass layoffs.

Musk’s department spearheaded efforts to dismantle the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the main mechanism for providing US foreign aid.