White House Announces New DOGE Leaders After Elon Musk's Exit

With Elon Musk now moving away from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to focus on his business ventures, US President Donald Trump and his Cabinet officials will fill the void, the White House said.

Musk's efforts at the cost-cutting initiative will be carried forward by Trump, his Cabinet secretaries as well as DOGE appointees, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday.

"The DOGE leaders are each and every member of the President's cabinet -- and the president himself -- who is wholeheartedly committed to cutting waste, fraud and abuse from our government," Ms Leavitt said.

On Wednesday, the 53-year-old announced that his term as the DOGE chief had come to an end. He thanked President Trump for the "opportunity to reduce wasteful spending".

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO assured the DOGE mission would "only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government."

As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump 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.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 29, 2025

Donald Trump Reacts

On Elon Musk's departure, the US President on Friday heaped praise on the billionaire and called him "terrific". He added that Musk would "always be with us".

"I am having a Press Conference tomorrow at 1:30 P.M. EST, 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 on his Truth Social platform.

At the time of campaigning for the 2024 US presidential election, Musk promised to cut down $2 trillion in "wasteful" federal spending.

As DOGE got formalised once Trump assumed office for the second time, the target was cut to half and was set at $1 trillion by Musk himself. This came after he is believed to have spent more than $250 million to support Trump for his presidential run.

Over the past few months, he faced criticism for his growing influence on the decisions of the federal government.

The official website of DOGE claims the agency has saved $160 billion so far through cancellation of contracts, selling assets and other sweeping moves.

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