Trump praises Elon Musk for ‘colossal change’ as Doge adviser says farewell
Donald Trump saw Elon Musk off from the White House on Friday, as the Tesla chief concluded his more than four months leading the disruptive foray into federal departments by the so-called “department of government efficiency” (Doge) that achieved far fewer cost savings than expected.Standing alongside Trump in the Oval Office, Musk, who faced a 130-day limit in his tenure as a special government employee that had ended two days prior, vowed that his departure “is not the end” of Doge.“The Doge team will only grow stronger over time.The Doge influence will only grow stronger.I liken it to a sort of Buddhism – it’s like a way of life,” he said.
Trump was effusive in his praise of the world’s richest man, saying Musk “delivered a colossal change in the old ways of doing business in Washington” and calling Doge “the most sweeping and consequential government reform program in generations”.The president presented Musk with a golden key to the White House to mark his service.“He willingly accepted the outrageous abuse and slander and lies and attacks, because he does love our country.I know that very much,” Trump said.Their joint appearance came hours after the New York Times published a story detailing Musk’s use of ketamine, ecstasy and psychedelic mushrooms while campaigning for Trump last year.
In the Oval Office, Musk wore a black cap and suit jacket over a T-shirt, while also sporting a bruise around his right eye he said was caused by his young son punching him while they were “horsing around”.Conceived on the campaign trail not long after Musk endorsed Trump’s bid to return to the White House, Doge was established by an executive order the president signed hours after being sworn in.Its staffers, many who are young and have ties to Musk but little to no government service, then fanned out across federal agencies, cancelling out budget items and directing the terminations of employees.An initial goal to cut $2tn in government spending became $1tn by the time Trump was sworn in – nonetheless a hefty sum that the president characterized as a necessary component of his promised “golden age” of lower taxes, leaner government and stricter immigration enforcement.Labor unions and Democrats protested against Doge’s mass firings and warned that its unorthodox efforts to coax federal workers out of their jobs and gather information about their work would undermine government operations.
The initiative made its presence known via emails that became infamous, such as the “fork in the road” deferred resignation offerings, or a short-lived demand that staff across departments submit a detailed list of their accomplishments.Doge had a hand in the firings of thousands of probationary workers and the dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), both actions sparking court challenges.As the initiative picked up steam in February, Musk appeared at a prominent conservative conference wielding a chainsaw that he declared “is for bureaucracy!”Sign up to This Week in TrumplandA deep dive into the policies, controversies and oddities surrounding the Trump administrationafter newsletter promotionYet the aggressive pace of cost-cutting sparked blunders, such as when the administration scrambled to hire back probationary employees let go from the agency overseeing nuclear weapons.Vandals motivated by antipathy towards Musk began targeting Tesla vehicles and dealerships, and reports emerged that his romp through the federal government has enraged Trump’s newly confirmed cabinet secretaries.Doge’s public-facing website detailing its cuts became known for errors, but currently says it has only saved $175bn – much less than Musk’s goal.
“We do expect to achieve over time the trillion dollars of savings,” Musk said in the Oval Office.“Say, by the middle of next year, with the support of the president and Congress, could we achieve a trillion dollars of savings? I think so.We’re on track to do so.”Republicans in Congress are expected to attempt to codify Doge’s cuts when they consider appropriations bills as part of the next federal fiscal year’s budget.As for Musk, he said he would “continue to be visiting here and be a friend and adviser to the president”.
Challengers had a US man winning the French Open. Reality is very different
The most shocking moment of the 2024 psychosexual tennis film Challengers is not the traumatic knee injury, any frame from the quasi-sex scenes, or the passionate rally with which the movie concludes. It’s the reveal that one of the characters, American ATP tennis player Art Donaldson, has won the French Open twice, a stat so foreign to US men we must have a sequel simply for Donaldson to explain how he found success on clay.No American man has lifted the trophy – or even made the semi-finals – on the Parisian clay courts since Andre Agassi did so in 1999. And at the time of Challengers’ release, no American man had made the quarter-finals since (bet you won’t guess this one) Agassi in 2003. American women have a storied history on clay – Chris Evert’s seven Roland-Garros titles and 125-match winning streak on the surface are legend; Serena Williams won Roland-Garros three times; Coco Gauff goes deep there every year and is back in the semi-finals this time – but the men, outside a brief burst in the 1980s and 1990s, have had little luck in the Open era
French Open: Sinner routs Bublik, Boisson stuns Andreeva to set up Gauff semi – as it happened
That’s it from us for today, though, many thanks for your company. We’ll be back for those semi-finals tomorrow – and we’ll have a report on the site on Sinner’s win and Zverev v Djokovic. A demain!Still no order of play for tomorrow’s women’s semi-finals, with Lois Boisson, the story of the tournament, taking on Gauff, and Swiatek and Sabalenka facing off in part XIII. I guess organisers are debating whether they’d rather have a guaranteed full crowd for Boisson if they put her on first, which would be at 3pm Paris time/2pm UK, or whether they’d rather have her in a potentially more TV-friendly early evening slot.If you want to catch up on today:Breaking down Sinner’s run: round one vs Rinderknech conceded 12 games, round two vs Gasquet seven games, round three vs Lehecka three games, round four vs Rublev eight games, quarter-final vs Bublik six games
Rory McIlroy annoyed over driver disclosure at US PGA Championship
Rory McIlroy has admitted being “pissed off” and “annoyed” after news of a forced driver change leaked during the US PGA Championship last month. McIlroy had to switch heads early in the week at Quail Hollow after his driver was deemed non-conforming by a United States Golf Association test.The scenario is perfectly common – when club faces become too springy through overuse – and also happened to the eventual champion Scottie Scheffler. The process, though, is meant to be private.McIlroy did not address the media after any round at the US PGA, something he expanded on at the Canadian Open in Toronto on Wednesday
‘It’s Harry’s team now’: Brook makes instant impact in new England era
It is just three games, one series, played at home against one of the few major teams ranked even lower than them. But if it would be unwise to get carried away with England’s clean sweep of West Indies there was no mistaking what we witnessed along the way: green shoots, tender and fragile but undeniable, desperately needed signs of renewal after a period of atrophy. The genesis of a new team, under fresh leadership, with fresh emphases and impetus.It has been overdue. From the miseries of the last World Cup to the indignity of the Champions Trophy this year, England’s recent 50‑over record is dire
Lizzie Deignan ‘incredibly emotional’ as she hits the road for final race in Britain
An emotional Lizzie Deignan will end her years racing on home roads with a farewell appearance in the four-day Tour of Britain, which begins in Dalby Forest. “I’m really pleased that the race starts in Yorkshire and finishes in Glasgow, because I’ve got amazing memories of my career there,” she said. “I’m really excited about it.”Deignan retires at the end of this season and described herself as “incredibly emotional” about coming to the end of a career that included an Olympic silver medal at London 2012 and a Commonwealth Games gold medal in Glasgow in 2014, as well as victory in the first women’s Paris-Roubaix and the world road race title in 2015.“I realise how privileged I have been to do this for a career
The Thunder team I played for could have been a dynasty. This one still can
As Oklahoma City prepare to play in the NBA finals, I can’t help but think back to playing in a team that included James Harden, Kevin Durant and Russell WestbrookI was in Oklahoma City last month as the Thunder clinched their Western Conference semi-final against the Nuggets in Game 7, and saw first-hand the Thunder run Denver off the court. The game wasn’t even close. The Thunder outplayed them on both sides of the court.Defensively, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault put the 6ft 5in Alex Caruso on in the 6ft 11in Nikola Jokić and, surprisingly, it worked. With Chet Holmgren or Isaiah Hartenstein providing help-side support, I watched a frustrated Jokić struggle to get to his spots
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