Musk’s time as the leader of DOGE has come to a close. But he still wields considerable influence with the Trump administration.
And Elon Musk brought a huge surprise to the White House that even shocked Donald Trump.
Elon Musk, the billionaire innovator, turned heads at a White House ceremony on Friday, marking the end of his 130-day stint in the Trump administration. Sporting a noticeable black eye, Musk drew shock from the press corps gathered to commemorate his departure from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
“I’ve got a little shiner here,” the 53-year-old quipped, addressing the room after President Trump fielded a question from Fox News’ Peter Doocy about “the first lady of France slapping her husband, Emmanuel Macron.”
“I wasn’t anywhere near France,” Musk clarified. “I was just horsing around with Little X, and I said, ‘Go ahead, punch me in the face,’ and he did.”
“Turns out even a five-year-old punching you in the face … ” he started, before letting the sentence fade.
The bruise, which was also evident in photos from a Thursday SpaceX presentation about Mars, sparked a flurry of speculation on X. “What happened to Elon, appears he has a black eye on his right,” one user posted.
Another chimed in, “Yoo did Elon Musk get straight up punched in the face? That’s a left hook black eye if I’ve ever seen one. Might explain his delayed talk?”
At the White House event, Musk traded his usual high-energy demeanor for a quieter presence, dressed casually in a black “Dogefather” T-shirt and a matching “DOGE” hat. The ceremony celebrated his work with DOGE, a task force he led to streamline federal spending.
Musk had boldly predicted $2 trillion in cuts before Trump’s inauguration, but by his exit on Wednesday, the DOGE website reported $175 billion in savings—roughly $1,087 per U.S. taxpayer.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) noted these reductions would appear in upcoming congressional appropriations, alongside $1.5 trillion more from Trump’s sweeping “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
During a Q&A, a reporter pressed Musk on his ambitions: “What do you think would be easier, colonizing Mars or making the government efficient?”
“It’s a tough call, but I think colonizing Mars and making life multiplanetary is harder,” Musk replied. “We do expect to achieve, over time, the trillion-dollar savings.”
The SpaceX founder’s vision for a “multiplanetary” future was a recurring theme, echoed in his Thursday presentation about landing humans on Mars. His passion for bold goals shone through, even as he reflected on his government role.
President Trump, in a symbolic gesture, presented Musk—the world’s richest man—with a White House key, akin to one given to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Trump’s first term. “He’s going to be back and forth,” Trump said. “I’ve got a feeling.”
Musk, ever optimistic, insisted this was “not the end of DOGE, only the beginning.” He vowed that “the DOGE team will only grow stronger over time.”
.@elonmusk: "This is not the end of DOGE, but really the beginning... The DOGE team will only grow stronger overtime... It is permeating throughout the government, and I am confident that, over time, we will see — a trillion dollars of waste and fraud reduction." pic.twitter.com/75XZ7ih8qg
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 30, 2025
As Musk left the Oval Office, the black eye and his cryptic comments fueled chatter online, leaving many to wonder about the true story behind the bruise—and what’s next for the tech titan’s influence.
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
