OAN Staff Abril Elfi
11:30 AM – Thursday, April 24, 2025
President Donald Trump commended Special Government Employee (SGE) Elon Musk for his pivotal contributions to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), highlighting the significance of his role as Musk prepares to depart from the agency on May 30th.
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During an executive order signing in the Oval Office on Wednesday, the 47th president admired Elon Musk for his unwavering patriotism and hard work—especially in light of the fact that he rendered his service without any expectation of compensation.
“He’s incredible… brilliant guy,” Trump said. “He was a tremendous help both in the campaign, and in what he’s done with DOGE.”
President Trump continued, highlighting Musk’s aerospace work with SpaceX.
“When you see those rockets go up and come back and land in the same gantry, nobody else can do that but this man. So he’s just an incredible person, and he’s a friend of mine as a nice person too, as a very nice person,” he continued.
He also commended Musk’s sustained technological contributions to both the United States and the globe—underscoring his role in providing critical support during natural and man-made disasters through Starlink, and advancing human capability through Neuralink by enabling individuals with disabilities to experience greater autonomy and improved quality of life, despite their physical challenges.
“He’s a great patriot… he makes a great product… it’s a great car. It’s [a] great everything. Starlink is great. What he does is good. He’s doing medical things that are amazing.”
However, ever since Musk stepped into his role in the second Trump administration, the move instantly prompted criticism — despite Trump announcing in August 2024 that Musk would be a part of his team if he won the 2024 election.
The earliest public indication that Trump was considering Musk for a role in his administration occurred on August 19th, 2024. In an interview with Reuters, Trump stated that he would offer Musk either a Cabinet position or an advisory role — contingent on Musk’s willingness to accept.
Meanwhile, in a more recent conversation with a reporter, Trump addressed what he described as ongoing unfair treatment of Musk and Tesla, his multinational automotive and clean energy company.
“They took it out on Tesla, and I just thought it was so unfair because he’s trying to help the country, but he has helped the country… He didn’t need to do this. He did it,” he said.
Trump concluded his remarks by expressing hope that Musk will remain involved in his administration, even as he returns his focus back to his business empire.
“I told him… whenever you’re ready, I’d like to keep him for a long time,” Trump concluded.
Musk must step down from his SGE role on May 30th — per the guidelines of any SGE role in a U.S. presidential administration.
“Per 18 U.S.C. § 202 (a), an SGE is ‘an officer or employee . . . who is appointed to perform temporary duties, with or without compensation, for a period not to exceed 130 days during any period of 365 consecutive days,’” according to the U.S. Federal Labor Relations Authority.
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