Donald Trump says Elon Musk will continue to advise on federal government cuts and adjustments.

WASHINGTON (apro).- In an attempt to contain the criticism and controversy surrounding Elon Musk's resignation as director of the Bureau of Government Efficiency (DODGE), President Donald Trump affirmed that the multibillionaire will continue to advise him and remains his friend.

"We are fully committed to making the cuts implemented by DODGE permanent. Elon is a friend and will continue to advise us on projects to make America great again," Trump stated.

At a press conference held in the Oval Office of the White House, Trump and Musk appeared before the press, displaying an unwavering camaraderie on camera, despite the fact that the owner of the social network X and Tesla has expressed disagreement with the president's agenda.

“Elon will continue to come and go… I think he'll continue to do many things. This isn't the end of Dodge; the team behind it will only get stronger as time goes on,” Trump emphasized, while Musk, standing next to him, smiled at the media.

For his part, the multibillionaire explained that his resignation from the leadership of Dodge has to do with many issues related to his business, but in interviews prior to the press conference, he had expressed his dissatisfaction with President Trump's policies.

"There are some aspects of the spending proposal that are inconsistent with the actions taken under my leadership at Dodge, and while I believe further cuts are warranted, negotiations in Congress can balance that out," Musk told reporters.

The budget bill passed last week by the House of Representatives and currently being reviewed by the Senate increases government spending and cuts billions of dollars for the wealthy, something Musk opposes.

One projection of the effects of Trump's budget proposal is that over a ten-year period it will increase the United States' debt by about $2 trillion, one of Musk's points of contention with the White House.

Although he was never a member of Trump's cabinet, but rather a "special employee" of the federal government and advisor to the president, Musk also added that he is leaving because his deadline to fulfill the mandates he received from the head of the executive branch has expired.

In recent days, following the Tesla owner's announcement that he would be leaving Dodge, it was revealed that during Trump's election campaign last year, the multibillionaire used drugs at official Republican Party events.

"The only thing we're worried about regarding drugs is the ones coming in through the southern border," said Stephen Miller, Trump's deputy chief of staff, when asked about Musk's drug use before the press conference with Trump and Elon Musk.

Meanwhile, Trump used the press conference to discuss the Federal Court of Appeals' decision to temporarily implement reciprocal tariffs on Mexico, Canada, China, and other countries, after the Court of International Trade in New York suspended the imposition of import duties.

"Tariffs are very effective when implemented immediately; considering them in Congress takes time and wastes money," Trump said, referring to his insistence on issuing tariffs through executive orders rather than following the constitutional process that requires legislative review and determination.