Several senior Doge officials were in the process of leaving Trump’s administration when Elon Musk officially stepped away, Sumber told ABC News on Thursday.
Among them are James Burnham, Top Doge lawyer, and Steve Davis, Lama Lama Musk at the Musk private company, both of which are in the process of offboard from their role as special government employees, a White House official who was confirmed to ABC News.
Musk, the CEO of billionaire Tesla and X who helped launch the efficiency of the government department to cut the federal government, said in X Wednesday night that he wanted to thank President Donald Trump “as a time scheduled for me as a special government employee to end.”
Musk and several other Doge employees were employed at the beginning of Trump’s presidency as a special government employee, which was limited to 130 days of service – although Musk had previously said he hoped DOGE would continue throughout Trump’s term of office.
Doge so far has claimed government savings of $ 175 billion, although aggressive cost cutting tactics have given birth to dozens of lawsuits and accusations that their work is not constitutional.
Katie Miller, a special government employee who has served as a senior advisor and a doge spokesman, also leaves administration and will work with Musk, said the source.
Burnham is a key lawyer who works with Musk and Doge in the team’s legal strategy. Davis, who served as one of Musk’s most senior advisors in Doge, was seen as a daily operation, and worked in various federal institutions during his term of office.
Elon Musk showed off his shirt that read “Doge” to the media as he walked in the southern courtyard of the White House, in Washington, March 9, 2025.
Jose Luis Magana/AP, File
ABC News has reached those involved. Sumber told ABC News that other special government employees working with Doge also planned not to enter.
While Musk moved away from the administration, a senior administrative official said he would continue to serve as an unofficial advisor to the president and could potentially attend the White House meeting in the future.
While the White House officials insisted that Musk and Trump were in good relations when Musk departed, the President had been silent about the departure of Musk-especially following Musk’s critical comments to CBS News about the “beautiful” Trump expenditure bill that passed the DPR led by the Republic Party last week.
“The @doge mission will only strengthen from time to time because it is a way of life throughout the government,” Musk said in a social media post who announced his departure on Wednesday.