Trump Signals Shift Away from Musk as Government Tensions Rise

Elon Musk is preparing to step down from his role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the Trump administration, with both Musk and President Trump signaling his imminent departure. Trump has begun referring to Musk in the past tense and appears to be distancing himself, despite previously praising Musk's contributions. Musk's controversial government cost-cutting measures have led to significant friction with cabinet members and are seen as having hurt both his reputation and Tesla's performance, with Tesla profits reportedly dropping 71%. Reports indicate Musk feels 'out of his depth' in Washington and has faced internal resistance and public backlash, prompting him to scale back his government involvement and focus more on Tesla and SpaceX. While Musk's White House stint brought some benefits to SpaceX, Tesla's brand suffered, and he is increasingly viewed as a political liability. His status as a special government employee is set to expire at the end of May, after which his ongoing role is uncertain.