President Donald Trump said he wanted Elon Musk to stay working with him for “as long as possible,” though acknowledged that the billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX would need to return to his businesses full-time at some point.

Musk is spearheading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), tasked with slashing what it identifies as fraud and waste in federal spending. He has said his time with the government is nearing its end.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Thursday night, Trump said Musk is “fantastic and a patriot”.

“I like smart people and he’s a smart person. I also like him personally,” Trump said.

“I would say Elon will stay for a certain period of time and then he’s going to want to get back to his businesses full-time,” adding that he would offer Musk another role in government if he wanted one.

“I want Elon to stay as long as possible,” Trump said, adding that “DOGE will stay active” even after Musk leaves.

Musk is under a 130-day time limit in his current role as DOGE lead as a special government employee. If the start date for Musk’s position was the first day of Trump’s administration, he would no longer be able to lead the department on May 30.

Trump’s comments come after a Wednesday report by Politico saying that Trump had informed close advisors and his Cabinet that Musk would soon be stepping down from his role at DOGE.

“The president remains pleased with Musk,” Politico reported, “but both men have decided in recent days that it will soon be time for Musk to return to his businesses and take on a supporting role.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt denied the report, calling it “garbage” and emphasizing that both Musk and Trump have agreed he will step down once his work at DOGE is complete.

A recent poll conducted by the Harvard Center for American Political Studies and Harris, which surveyed 2,746 registered voters between March 26 and 27, found that 49 percent view Musk unfavorably, compared to just 39 percent who view him favorably.

Musk is under mounting pressure to scale back his responsibilities in government after sales at his company Tesla fell 13 percent in the first quarter of 2025—its worst performance in nearly three years.

This is a developing story and more information will be added shortly.