3 hours agoShareSaveBernd Debusmann JrBBC News, White HouseShareSaveElon Musk’s time in the Trump administration is coming to an end after a tempestuous 129 days in which the world’s richest man took an axe to government spending – stirring ample controversy along the way. Earlier this week, the South African-born billionaire, on his social media platform, X, thanked President Trump for his time at the Department of Government Efficiency, or Doge. Trump announced he will host a news conference in the Oval Office on Friday with Musk, writing: “This will be his last day, but not really, because he will, always, be with us, helping all the way.”While Musk’s time in government lasted little more than four months, his work with Doge upended the federal government and had an impact not just in the halls of power in Washington – but around the world. Let’s take a look at some of the ways Musk has left a mark. Doge’s chainsaw to federal spending Musk took a job with the Trump White House with one mission: to cut spending from the government as much as possible.He began with an initial target of “at least $2 trillion”, which then shifted to $1tn and ultimately $150bn.To date, Doge claims to have saved $175bn through a combination of asset sales, lease and grant cancellations, “fraud and improper payment deletion”, regulatory savings and a 260,000-person reduction from the 2.3 million-strong federal workforce.A BBC analysis of those figures, however, found that evidence is sometimes lacking.This mission has at times caused both chaos and controversy, including some instances in which federal judges halted mass firings and ordered employees reinstated.In other instances, the administration has been forced to backtrack on firings.In one notable instance in February, the administration stopped the firing of hundreds of federal employees working at the National Nuclear Security Administration, including some with sensitive jobs related to the US nuclear arsenal.Musk himself repeatedly acknowledged that mass firings would inevitably include mistakes.”We will make mistakes,” he said in February, after his department mistook a region of Mozambique for Hamas-controlled Gaza while cutting an aid programme. “But we’ll act quickly to correct any mistakes.”Doge’s efforts to access data also garnered controversy, particularly the department’s push for access to sensitive treasury department systems that control the private information of millions of Americans.Polls show that cuts to government spending remain popular with many Americans – even if Musk’s personal popularity has waned.Getty ImagesBlurred lines between business and politicsThe presence of Musk – an unelected ” …
