Elon Musk, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Tesla who is leading the restructuring of the U.S. federal government, will soon stop his political activities, Politico reported on 2nd (local time). The White House denied this, stating, "(This report is) garbage."
According to the report, three sources who requested anonymity indicated that President Donald Trump told close aides, including cabinet members, that Musk has decided to leave the White House soon to return to management.
Musk has been leading efforts to significantly reduce federal agency expenditures and cut personnel while serving as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). However, it is reported by Politico that Musk, who holds the qualification of a 'special government employee,' is restricted by relevant laws from working for more than 130 days a year in government, which appears to be the reason for this decision. Musk's qualification as a special government employee expires in late May to early June.
Previously, on the 31st of last month, President Trump, in a Q&A with reporters at the White House, commented regarding the possibility of Musk working for more than 130 days in government, saying that "at some point, he will return" and noted, "I will keep him as long as I can (in government)."
Musk also mentioned in an interview with Fox News on the 27th of last month that he plans to complete a $1 trillion (approximately 1,460 trillion won) reduction in federal government expenses by the end of May.
President Trump has actively defended and supported Musk. However, there have been complaints within the Republican Party and the administration regarding Musk's unilateral moves, which are noted to be adding political pressure to President Trump while simultaneously serving as a unifying factor for the opposing Democratic Party.
Politico reported that many within the administration described Musk as "an unpredictable and unmanageable figure." His tendency to frequently share unverified or uncoordinated plans for federal agency restructuring through his X account has reportedly caused issues in communicating plans with cabinet members.
On the previous day, in the Wisconsin Supreme Court election, a conservative candidate publicly supported by Musk lost to the opposing candidate by a margin of 10 percentage points.
In relation to this, White House spokesperson Caroline Levitt denied Politico's report, calling it "garbage," and noted in a post on her X account that both Musk and President Trump have "publicly" mentioned that Musk would step down from public office as a special government employee once he finishes his remarkable work at DOGE.
Meanwhile, news that Musk is now able to focus on management led to Tesla's stock price closing at $282.76, up 5.33% from the previous day, despite the backdrop of disappointing earnings.