Trump wants Musk to stay with admin ‘as long as possible’ — hints that DOGE found something ‘horrible’

President Trump was adamant Thursday that he wants Elon Musk to be a part of his administration for “as long as possible,” teasing that the tech mogul’s team of government cost-cutters recently uncovered something “horrible.”  

“I want Elon to stay as long as possible,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, before rattling off a list of reasons why he likes having the billionaire X owner around the White House.

“Number one: I like him. Number two: He’s doing a great job. Number three: He is a patriot,” the president said. 

Musk, the unofficial head of Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, is expected to leave his post at the end of May, when his special government employee (SGE) status expires. 

Per federal regulations, SGEs can only work in government for 130 consecutive days — pegging May 30 as the Tesla, SpaceX and Starlink CEO’s last day as DOGE chief. 

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“We’re in no rush, but there will be a point in time in which Elon’s going to have to leave,” Trump said, noting that Musk has “a number of companies to run.” 

The president didn’t put an exact date on when Musk would be departing the administration but said he expects it will happen “in a few months.” 

Trump noted that Musk is welcome to stay “as long as he likes.” 

When asked if he would consider appointing the world’s richest man to a different post, in order to keep him around longer, Trump responded, “I would. I think Elon’s great.” 

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The president signaled that DOGE’s efforts to root out waste, fraud and abuse in government would continue after Musk’s exit, with his cabinet secretaries “taking totally over” and DOGE staffers shifting to permanent positions inside federal agencies. 

“We have a lot of smart people,” Trump said of Musk’s team. “A lot of those people, I believe, are going to go into the agencies and then work on it from the inside.” 

As for DOGE’s latest discovery, the president suggested it was egregious but refused to provide details. 

“[DOGE] found something today that’s horrible. It’s horrible — you’ll find out very soon,” Trump teased. “What they found is incredible, and we give [Musk] a lot of credit. He’s got some very smart people.” 

The White House did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.