Elon Musk isn’t making a quiet exit from Washington.

Elon Musk is making a bold departure from the nation’s capital.

On his final day as a special government employee, the Tesla CEO appeared in the Oval Office alongside President Trump, just days after announcing his exit from Washington, D.C., in a post on X Wednesday night.

“This is not the end of DOGE,” Musk declared, likening his work with the Department of Government Efficiency to Buddhism, describing it as “a way of life.” He made yet another promise—at least his fourth—about what DOGE will save and affirmed that he will continue advising Trump.

What Musk didn’t do on Friday was repeat his recent criticism of parts of Trump’s agenda.

He remained silent as Trump praised his “big, beautiful bill,” claiming it would “cut deficits”—a statement widely disputed by outside analysts and even Musk himself.

In fact, the event came just days after Musk told CBS in an interview set to air this weekend that he was “disappointed” by the bill’s cost, warning it could add more than $3 trillion to the national deficit if passed.

“The bill increases the budget deficit and undermines the work the DOGE team is doing,” Musk said in that interview.

Meanwhile, White House adviser Stephen Miller defended the bill on X this week, insisting it would ultimately reduce the deficit and stating that DOGE-related cuts would need to be formalized in future legislation.

The world’s richest man is making his opinions on a range of issues known in Washington as he shifts his focus back to his many ventures, including Tesla (TSLA) and SpaceX (SPAX.PVT).

In an interview with Bloomberg last week, he said he plans to scale back his political spending, remarking, “I think I’ve done enough.” He also admitted to Ars Technica, “I probably did spend a bit too much time on politics.

Musk’s ongoing feud with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has spilled into the Washington spotlight, following a Wall Street Journal report that he opposed a recent deal involving OpenAI (OPAI.PVT) and other tech giants to build an AI data center in Abu Dhabi.

According to both the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, Musk attempted to get his own AI company, xAI, included in the agreement—but was ultimately left out.

Musk made it clear this week that he’s heading back to the office to refocus on his core businesses—Tesla, SpaceX, and X.

“Back to spending 24/7 at work and sleeping in conference/server/factory rooms,” he posted Tuesday on X, noting that he needs to be “super focused on X/xAI and Tesla (plus Starship launch next week), as we have critical technologies rolling out.”

Tesla is preparing for high-stakes robotaxi trials in Austin, set to begin at the end of July.

Musk and Tesla have staked the company’s future on autonomous driving and its potential to power a fleet of robotaxis. Tesla’s purpose-built robotaxi, known as the Cybercab, is scheduled for a 2026 debut. The company also plans to unveil its long-anticipated, more affordable electric vehicles in the first half of the year.

Musk’s return to full-time work has been in the works since April, when he signaled that his time in Washington would soon wind down.

“Starting early next month, in May, my time allocation to DOGE will drop significantly,” he told investors during Tesla’s Q1 earnings call. Still, reports indicated Musk continued making appearances in D.C. throughout April.

In interviews with Bloomberg and CNBC last week, Musk reaffirmed his renewed focus on his companies and stated that he expects to remain CEO of Tesla for at least the next five years.

Musk and his DOGE allies arrived in Washington months ago with bold promises to slash “at least” $2 trillion from the federal budget. But despite the disruption caused across the federal workforce—and Musk’s recent decision to scale back his involvement—the effort has delivered few tangible results.

According to a real-time government spending tracker from the Brookings Institution, overall federal spending for calendar year 2025 is actually slightly higher than in 2024. Still, the impact of DOGE is evident at smaller agencies like the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which have felt the brunt of the cuts.

In an interview with the Washington Post this week, Musk expressed frustration over the backlash to his cost-cutting initiative, saying, “DOGE is just becoming the whipping boy for everything.”

He had already hinted at his opposition to the bill last week, posting during the debate that “the profligacy of government means that only radical improvements in productivity can save our country.

In this week’s CBS interview, Musk was more pointed in his critique.

“I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful, but I don’t know if it can be both,” he quipped, adding, “Just my personal opinion.”

Still, in a post on X Wednesday night, Musk struck a more optimistic tone, saying DOGE’s mission “will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.

During a Friday appearance, Musk sidestepped a question about the biggest obstacle to his cost-cutting push, saying it wasn’t “any one person” and expressing confidence that DOGE would ultimately succeed.

He was also pressed about a New York Times report alleging he used both illicit and prescription drugs “far more intensely than previously known” while campaigning alongside Trump. Musk declined to respond directly, saying, “That New York Times? Let’s move on,” after criticizing the paper’s Pulitzer Prize for its Trump-Russia coverage—an investigation Trump has long dismissed as a “hoax.”

Musk was additionally asked about what looked like a black eye near his right temple. “I was horsing around with little X,” he said, referring to his son. “I told him, ‘Go ahead and punch me in the face,’ and he did.”

Reporting contributed by Ben Werschkul.

Conclusion:

Elon Musk’s latest chapter in Washington has been anything but quiet. From high-profile Oval Office appearances to sharp critiques of federal spending and a polarizing cost-cutting campaign, Musk has left a distinct mark on the political landscape. While his DOGE initiative has stirred debate and seen limited measurable success, Musk insists its mission will endure—and even grow stronger—as he shifts his focus back to Tesla, SpaceX, and his broader tech empire. Whether his vision of productivity-driven government reform gains traction or fades with his exit remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: Musk’s influence, both political and technological, continues to be a force in the national conversation.