Donald Trump news: Black-eyed Elon Musk denies drug use as US government tenure ends

US President Donald Trump has praised billionaire Elon Musk’s efforts to cut federal spending, as the Tesla boss departs his administration after a chaotic tenure that saw the elimination of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in contracts.

Musk, who headed the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), disrupted numerous agencies across the federal bureaucracy but ultimately fell far short of the massive savings he had initially promised.

A White House official on Wednesday said Musk would be leaving the administration.

“Elon has worked tirelessly helping lead the most sweeping and consequential government reform program in generations,” Trump said on Friday from behind the Resolute Desk, as Musk stood to his right, wearing a black DOGE hat and a T-shirt that read “The Dogefather” in the style of the movie The Godfather.

In recent days, Mr Musk had prompted some frustration among White House officials by criticising Trump’s sweeping tax and spending bill as too expensive.

Some senior aides, including Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, saw Musk’s remarks on the tax bill as an open break from the administration, with Miller particularly irked by the comments.

There was no evidence of tension during the joint appearance on Friday, where Trump said Musk would continue to play a role in his administration.

“Elon is really not leaving,” Mr Trump said.

“He’s going to be back and forth.”

Mr Musk also addressed a New York Times report published on Friday, which alleged he used drugs “more intensely than previously known” during 2024’s election campaign when he actively supported Trump.

Citing anonymous sources, the report claimed Mr Musk’s drug use included ecstasy, psychedelic mushrooms, stimulants like Adderall, and large quantities of ketamine that allegedly began affecting his bladder.

“Is that the same publication that won a Pulitzer for fake news about Russiagate? Is it the same one? I think it is!” Mr Musk responded, quickly moving on to take a question from another reporter.

Sporting a bruise near his right eye, Musk also offered some levity during the press conference.

When asked about the bruise, Mr Musk blamed his five-year-old son, X.

“I was joking around with little X, told him, ‘Come on, punch me in the face’, and he did,” said Musk, adding that the mark had nothing to do with France.

His comment referenced a viral incident earlier this week in which French First Lady Brigitte Macron was caught on camera slapping French President Emmanuel Macron during a public event.

Initially, the White House and senior aides insisted Mr Musk, the world’s richest man, was a key figure who wasn’t going anywhere.

But more recently, they began pointing to the expiration of his 130-day mandate as a special government employee, which was set to end around Friday as a natural endpoint.

Musk has said he intends to devote most of his energy to his business empire, including Tesla and SpaceX, after some investors expressed concern that DOGE was occupying too much of his time.

He has also said he plans to ratchet back his political spending, after he spent nearly $US300 million ($A467 million) backing Mr Trump’s presidential campaign and those of other Republicans in 2024.

Mr Musk initially claimed DOGE would slash at least $US2 ($A3.1) trillion in federal spending.

Four months into its efforts, DOGE now estimates it has saved $US175 billion ($A272 billion).