Will Elon Musk really leave Doge?

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the Trump administration will back off its role in the cost-cutting team known as Doge. Musk’s announcement left many questions unanswered, including when he would actually leave the administration and what would happen to the Doge, which means managing government efficiency. On Tuesday, Tesla reported a 20% drop in car sales in the first three months of the year compared to the same period last year, while profits fell by more than 70%. Trump’s tariffs on China have also placed a heavy burden on Tesla. Although the cars that Tesla sells in its home market are assembled in the United States, they rely on many parts made in China. According to the company, its “rapidly evolving business policy” can harm the supply chain and increase costs.

“I will continue to advocate for lower tariffs rather than tariffs, but that’s all I can do,” he said.

Musk and the Office of Personnel Management, which oversees private government employees and Doge employees who reportedly held various jobs, were contacted by the BBC for comment.

On Tuesday, Musk said he believed Tesla was the auto company least affected by tariffs due to domestic supply chains in North America, Europe and China, but added that tariffs “remain difficult for a company with low margins.”

On Thursday, the Wall Street Journal reported that about 100 Doge employees will remain in various government offices after Musk’s departure this year.

Musk and Trump set a deadline for Doge to complete her work, which coincides with the 250th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence.

The executive order that created the Doge, signed by Trump on Inauguration Day in January, set the expiration date on July 4, 2026.

Earlier, in December, Musk responded to a tweet in which he said that Doge would be completely finished on that date.

“The last step of DOGE is to erase itself,” he wrote.