"Musk Is Terrific": Trump's Praise As Billionaire Exits US Administration

US President Donald Trump on Friday heaped praise on Elon Musk as the billionaire stepped down as the chief of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the US administration. Calling him "terrific", Trump said that while it is the SpaceX CEO's last day, he will "always be with us".

Trump and Musk will hold a media briefing later today.

"I am having a Press Conference tomorrow at 1:30 pm EST (11:00 pm IST), with Elon Musk, at the Oval Office. This will be his last day, but not really, because he will, always, be with us, helping all the way. Elon is terrific! See you tomorrow at the White House," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

Musk exited the US administration amid widespread protests, thanking Trump for the "opportunity to reduce wasteful spending".

"As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President Donald Trump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending. The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government," he said.

Earlier this week, the billionaire had said he is back to "spending 24/7 at work" and sleeping in conference rooms - as he hopped back into corporate life after his time in Washington.

Musk's departure also comes a day after he criticised Trump's marquee tax bill, calling it too expensive and a measure that would undermine his work with the US DOGE Service. "A bill can be big, or it can be beautiful. But I don't know if it can be both. My personal opinion," he said.

Musk was the largest donor to Trump's 2024 election campaign, featured in his pre-poll outings and then remained firmly by his side as the Republican assumed office. Trump had even praised the billionaire in his victory speech, saying a "star is born". The US President, upon assuming office, soon announced that Musk would lead 'DOGE' - a new department to cut down on government bureaucracy. The department goes by the acronym 'DOGE' - the name of the Dogecoin cryptocurrency often touted by Musk.

Since joining the Trump administration, Musk has worked on reshaping the federal government by leading cost-cutting tasks, including cutting waste, streamlining operations, downsizing, and shutting down several departments.

However, Musk began pulling back from his role by late April.