Steve Maher
    9:00 p.m. - 5:00 a.m.
  • Listen Live

  • Join The Q Crew

  • TikTok

  • X

  • Instagram

  • Facebook

  • Mobile Apps

  • Home
  • Shows
    • Your Q Morning Crew
      • What You Missed
      • QDR Hometown Hero
    • Abby Leigh
      • Fursdays
    • Mad Dawg
    • Steve Maher
    • PineCone Bluegrass Show
    • QDR Homegrown Country
    • Country Countdown USA
  • Contests
    • View All Contests
    • Contest Rules
  • Features
    • Advice
    • Coupons
    • Crossword Puzzle
    • Daily Comic Strips
    • Fursdays
    • Gold Star Teacher of the Month
    • Horoscopes
    • Interviews
      • Exclusive Live Performances
    • News, Sports and Weather
    • Pet Adoption
    • QDR Hometown Hero
    • Live and Kickin’ Fridays
    • Recipes
    • Slideshows
    • Sudoku
  • Events
    • Station Events and Concerts
    • Community Events
    • Submit Your Community Event
    • Photos
  • Connect
    • Contact/Directions
    • 94.7 QDR App
    • Join The Q Crew
    • Advertise
    • Social Media
      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • Instagram
      • YouTube
      • TikTok
  • search
Trump gives Elon Musk an Oval Office sendoff

Tesla CEO Elon Musk shakes hands with U.S. President Donald Trump as they speak to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House on May 30, 2025 in Washington, DC. Musk, who served as an adviser to Trump and led the Department of Government Efficiency, announced he would leave his role in the Trump administration to refocus on his businesses. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Trump gives Elon Musk an Oval Office sendoff

By CHRIS MEGERIAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump bid farewell to Elon Musk in the Oval Office on Friday, providing a cordial conclusion to a tumultuous tenure for the billionaire entrepreneur.

Musk is leaving his position spearheading the Department of Government Efficiency, and he’ll be rededicating himself to running his businesses, including electric automaker Tesla, rocket company SpaceX and social media platform X.

Trump credited Musk with “a colossal change in the old ways of doing business in Washington” and said some of his staff would remain in the administration. Musk, who wore all black including a T-shirt that said “The Dogefather,” nodded along as the president listed contracts that had been cut under his watch.

“I think the DOGE team is doing an incredible job,” Musk said after accepting a ceremonial key from the president. “They’re going to continue to be doing an incredible job.”

He left a searing mark on the federal bureaucracy, including thousands of employees who were fired or pushed out. Some government functions were eviscerated, such as the U.S. Agency for International Development, which had provided a lifeline for impoverished people around the world. Boston University researchers estimate that hundreds of thousands of people have already died as a result of the USAID cuts.

Despite the upheaval, Musk also fell far short of his goals. After promising to cut $1 trillion or even $2 trillion in federal spending, he lowered expectations to only $150 billion in the current fiscal year.

It’s unclear whether that target has been hit. The DOGE website tallies $175 billion in savings, but its information has been riddled with errors and embellishments.

Trump said Musk had led the “most sweeping and consequential government reform effort in generations.” He suggested that Musk is “really not leaving” and “he’s going to be back and forth” to keep tabs on what’s happening in the administration.

Musk, the world’s richest person, recently said he would reduce his political donation s. He was Trump’s top donor in last year’s presidential campaign.

Trump appeared eager to end Musk’s service on a high note.

“This will be his last day, but not really, because he will, always, be with us, helping all the way,” Trump wrote on social media on Thursday evening. “Elon is terrific!”

As a special government employee, Musk’s position was designed to be temporary. However, he had speculated about staying “indefinitely,” working part time for the administration, if Trump still wanted his help.

Musk has brushed off questions about how DOGE would continue without him, even suggesting it could “gain momentum” in the future.

“DOGE is a way of life,” he told reporters recently. “Like Buddhism.”

____

Associated Press writer Ellen Knickmeyer contributed to this report.

Recent News

Hometown Hero of the Week: Brittany Mitchell, June 4th, 2025

Gold Star Teacher of the Month: June 2025 – Nell “Nellie” Rushton

Hometown Hero of the Week: William Taylor, May 28th, 2025

Fursday: Meet Guthrie from APS of Durham!

Hometown Hero of the Week: Kendall Marley, May 21st, 2025

Meet Illicium: A Shade-Loving Shrub with Personality

Fursday: Meet Delphi from Second Chance!

Hometown Hero of the Week: Brad Boswell, May 14th, 2025

Fursday: Meet Dutch from APS of Durham!

Hometown Hero of the Week: Bruce Rose, May 7th, 2025

  • La Ley 101.1FM

Copyright © 2025 WQDR-FM. All Rights Reserved.

View Full Site

  • Advertise
  • Contest Rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Employment Opportunities
  • Public Inspection File
  • FCC Applications
  • EEO
Powered By SoCast