Without billionaire Elon Musk in the Trump administration, his cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency project is likely to sputter out, a former DOGE staffer said in an interview after leaving the team.

Elon Musk has confirmed that he will depart from his role at the White House and as head of the Department of Government Efficiency, leaving behind several questions about the future of DOGE. The tech CEO announced he would be stepping down after his "scheduled time" as a government employee came to an end on Wednesday,

White House officials have said that DOGE’s efforts will continue after Musk leaves, and that he would likely continue to advise the President. "Elon is really not leaving. He’s going to be back and forth, I have a feeling," Trump said Friday. "It’s his baby.”