Musk’s departure from the Department of Government Efficiency comes amid layoffs, political backlash, and a push to revitalize Tesla’s AI ambitions.

During an April 22 earnings call for Tesla, Elon Musk announced that he would reduce his hours with DOGE, starting next month, to focus on his role as Tesla's CEO. This announcement came a week after the White House press secretary fired back at claims on X, formerly Twitter, that Musk was leaving his position in the coming weeks.

Elon Musk said Waymo can't compete with Tesla in part due to costs. Ex-Waymo CEO John Krafcik told BI those concerns are "trivial."