President Donald Trump has told his inner circle that Elon Musk will be stepping back from his government role.
The controversial billionaire leads the Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, and has waged a campaign to slash federal workers and spending.
The report published on Wednesday said Trump remains “pleased” with Musk and his DOGE initiative, “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.”
Politico also said people inside and outside of the Trump administration have become “frustrated” with Musk’s “unpredictability,” and increasingly view him as a “political liability.”
His electric car company Tesla saw sales fall about 13 percent in the first quarter of the year. The drop was apparently related to the backlash Musk has faced in the US and abroad for his involvement in politics and right-wing causes.
But Tesla climbed during Wednesday’s trading on Wall Street following the Politico report.
