Politics

JUST IN: Karoline Leavitt Shoots Down Politico’s Latest Report On Trump, Elon: ‘Garbage’

Published

3 days ago

April 2, 2025

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wasted no time setting the record straight Wednesday after Politico published a lengthy report claiming that Elon Musk is on his way out of the Trump administration amid internal frustrations. Leavitt torched the piece, labeling it “garbage” and dismissing it as another example of Beltway media spin.

Politico Capitol Bureau Chief & Senior Washington Columnist, Rachel Bade, tweeted Wednesday, “SCOOP: Pres Trump has told his inner circle & members of his Cabinet that @elonmusk will be stepping back in the coming weeks from his current role.”

“This ‘scoop’ is garbage,” Leavitt posted bluntly on X. “Elon Musk and President Trump have both publicly stated that Elon will depart from public service as a special government employee when his incredible work at DOGE is complete.”

The report from Politico’s Bade suggested that Musk’s so-called “looming exit” was due to growing concerns inside the administration over his unpredictable nature, controversial public statements, and off-script policymaking. Citing anonymous insiders, the piece claimed that Trump officials viewed Musk as a “political liability” and that his departure was a quiet distancing maneuver by the president.

But Leavitt’s sharp rebuttal directly challenged the narrative. She pointed to the consistent and transparent timeline both Musk and Trump have laid out regarding the billionaire’s temporary government role with DOGE—the Department of Government Efficiency—a signature Trump initiative designed to cut federal bloat and save taxpayers billions.

This “scoop” is garbage.

Elon Musk and President Trump have both *publicly* stated that Elon will depart from public service as a special government employee when his incredible work at DOGE is complete. https://t.co/Brppff6SKi

— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) April 2, 2025

The Politico article, despite admitting that Trump has repeatedly praised Musk, attempted to paint a picture of growing unease behind the scenes. It cited a Wisconsin Supreme Court race loss by a Musk-backed candidate and past communications hiccups as signs that the relationship had become strained.

However, Musk has already boasted that DOGE is on track to reduce the federal deficit by over $1 trillion—an eye-popping number even critics have had trouble dismissing.

Trump and Musk have remained publicly aligned, with Trump just days ago calling Musk “a patriot” and “a friend of mine” during a cabinet meeting. Even as he acknowledged that Musk would eventually return to his private ventures, Trump stressed his desire to keep him around “as long as possible.”

“Elon, I want to thank you — I know you’ve been through a lot,” Trump said, mentioning death threats and the spate of vandalism directed at the cars built by Musk’s Tesla, according to the report.

Musk himself has remained focused on the mission. When asked last week by Fox News’ Bret Baier whether he was ready to step back, he responded, “I think we will have accomplished most of the work required to reduce the deficit by $1 trillion within that time frame.”

“Elon has been instrumental in executing the President’s agenda, and will continue this good work until the President says otherwise,” said Harrison Fields, White House spokesperson, pushing back against rumors of internal friction on Tuesday.