Several senior DOGE officials are leaving the Trump administration while Elon Musk officially moves away, sources told ABC News on Thursday.
Among them, James Burnham, the best lawyer in Doge, and Steve Davis, a long -standing lieutenant of Musk in private societies of Musk, who are both in the course of their roles of special government employees, confirmed a White House official in ABC News.
Musk, the CEO billionaire of Tesla and X who helped launch the government’s ministry of efficiency in order to reduce the federal government, said on Wednesday evening that he wanted to thank President Donald Trump “because my time planned as an employee of the special government will end”.
Musk and several other DOGE employees were hired at the start of Trump’s presidency as an employee of the special government, which are limited to 130 days of service – although Musk previously declared that he expects DOGE to continue throughout Trump’s mandate.
DOGE has so far claimed government economies of $ 175 billion, although its aggressive costs of cost reduction have caused dozens of prosecutions and accusations that its work is unconstitutional.
Katie Miller, a special government employee who had been the main councilor and spokesperson for Doge, also left the administration and will work with Musk, sources said.
Burnham was a key lawyer working in close collaboration with Musk and Doge on the team’s legal strategy. Davis, who was one of Musk’s most senior advisers in Doge, was considered a daily operation and worked in several federal agencies during his mandate.
Elon Musk flashes his t-shirt which reads “Doge” to the media while he walks on the southern lawn of the White House, in Washington, March 9, 2025.
Jose Luis Magana / AP, files
ABC News contacted the people involved. Sources told ABC News that other special government employees working with Doge also planned to be off -board.
While Musk moves away from the administration, a senior administration official said he would continue to serve as an unofficial advisor to the president and could potentially attend the White House meetings in the future.
While the managers of the White House insist that Musk and Trump are on good terms while Musk leaves, the president was silent on the departure of Musk – in particular by following the critical comments of Musk at CBS News on the “Big Beautiful” Bill of Trump who adopted the house led by the Republicans last week.
“The @doge mission will only strengthen over time because it becomes a lifestyle throughout the government,” Musk said in the social media post announcing his departure on Wednesday.
