Trump wants Musk to stay with administration, says DOGE found something 'horrible' today

President Donald Trump said helium wants Elon Musk to enactment connected his squad "as agelong arsenic possible" during a speech with reporters Thursday, adding DOGE had recovered thing "horrible" without divulging details.

The president made his remarks during a speech with reporters connected Air Force One aft Trump was asked however overmuch longer Musk would enactment connected arsenic a "special authorities employee." 

The questions followed a study from Politico this week claiming Trump had told his interior ellipse that Musk volition beryllium leaving his relation arsenic a "special authorities employee" with DOGE soon. The study cited interior frustrations with Musk's "unpredictability" and his imaginable to beryllium a "political liability."  

"Elon is fantastic. He's a patriot," Trump told reporters, adding Musk tin enactment astatine the White House "as agelong arsenic he'd like" and that helium personally wants him to enactment "as agelong arsenic possible."

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"I similar astute people, and he's a astute person. I besides similar him, personally," Trump added. "We're successful nary rush. But determination volition beryllium a constituent astatine which clip Elon's going to person to leave."

Elon Musk is celebrating a caller canvass that recovered astir voters hold determination should beryllium a authorities bureau dedicated to ratio and that DOGE is helping marque large spending cuts.  (Getty Images)

"Special authorities employees" are permitted to enactment for the national authorities for "no much than 130 days successful a 365-day period," according to information from the Office of Government Ethics. Musk's 130-day timeframe, opening connected Inauguration Day, would expire May 30.

When asked if helium would see appointing Musk to a antithetic station to support him astir longer, Trump said that could beryllium a possibility. 

"I would. I deliberation Elon's great," Trump responded. "But helium besides has a institution to run, oregon a fig of companies to run."

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According to the president, "the secretaries" wrong his furniture volition instrumentality implicit the enactment Musk has been doing with DOGE upon Musk's exit from DOGE.

That work, Trump added, recovered thing "horrible" and "incredible" today, but helium would not divulge further details to reporters.

New York Times sentiment writers despair implicit the Trump administration's archetypal 50 days.  (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Musk's enactment with DOGE officially began aft President Trump signed an enforcement bid establishing the bureau Jan. 20. The relation of "special authorities employee" was created successful 1962 to licence the enforcement oregon legislative subdivision to prosecute impermanent employees for circumstantial short-term initiatives.

When asked for a circumstantial day of Musk's imaginable departure, the president responded that it could beryllium arsenic agelong arsenic "a fewer months."

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"I'd support him arsenic agelong arsenic I tin support him," Trump told reporters earlier this week. "He's a precise talented guy. You know, I emotion precise astute people. He's precise smart. And he's done a bully job."

The president added connected Air Force One that helium envisions galore of the employees moving nether Musk astatine DOGE volition yet find their mode into full-time positions successful assorted national agencies.

Fox News' Emma Colton contributed to this report.