“The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government,” Musk wrote of his efforts to cut federal spending. He added that his “scheduled time” as a special government employee had come to an end, since he is not permitted to work more than 130 days in a 365-day period under that designation.

Without billionaire Elon Musk in the Trump administration, his cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency project is likely to sputter out, a former DOGE staffer said in his first interview since leaving the team.