U.S. President Donald Trump said on the 23rd (local time) regarding Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which leads the federal government's restructuring, "We need to let him go at some point and have him focus on that (Tesla management)."
During a news briefing in the Oval Office that day, Trump made this remark when asked about Musk’s statement the previous day that he would focus on Tesla management starting in May.
Trump noted, "We anticipated that (Musk) would do that around this point," adding, "But I will discuss this with Elon." "This point" is interpreted to refer to the end of May or early June when Musk's period of working as a "special government employee" expires.
Earlier, Musk said during Tesla’s first-quarter earnings conference call, "Most of the major tasks of DOGE within the government are completed, and starting in May, the time I dedicate to those tasks will significantly reduce." He added, "I expect to spend about 1 to 2 days a week on government work. However, starting next month, I will allocate much more time to Tesla."
Trump also continued to support Musk, praising him by saying, "He is an amazing, outstanding, and great person, to the extent that one cannot evaluate him higher than that." Regarding the recent incidents of arson involving Tesla vehicles, he acknowledged that "he knows he has been treated very unfairly by some in the public," but emphasized, "He makes amazing cars, and everything he does is excellent; however, they expressed that towards Tesla."