On Air Force One on Thursday, President Trump said Elon Musk can stay "as long as he'd like," but he added there will be a point when "Elon's gotta have to leave."

President Donald Trump gave billionaire adviser Elon Musk a fresh endorsement on Thursday amid criticism of Musk's government reduction project and said he can stay "as long as he likes" but will eventually return to his businesses.

Elon Musk saw around $11 billion shaved off his wealth in the stock market bloodbath that followed President Donald Trump's unveiling of tariffs on Thursday, taking his overall losses since the beginning of 2025 to more than $110 billion.

Donald Trump has long entangled politics and business. Now, senior Trump administration officials are using their perches in government to reward companies that have embraced the MAGA movement. Elon Musk’s account on X — the social media site he owns — oscillates from promoting his brands like SpaceX and Tesla to making pronouncements that could reshape government.

The value of Musk’s Tesla stake has plunged by more than $80 billion amid the ongoing backlash against his Trump ties and his DOGE role.

Republicans are largely dismissing concerns about Elon Musk’s political liability in the wake of their loss in Wisconsin, where he played a central role. Their views so far seem to be reflected by