Trump on Musk: "I don't need him for anything, I just like him"

Donald Trump is not reliant on the billionaire who spent the most to elect him in November and has a high-profile presence at the White House, the president said Thursday.

“Elon’s done a fantastic job,” the president said. “And I don’t care. I don’t need him for anything other than I happen to like him. This guy, this guy did a fantastic job.”

This came after Musk denied reports that he would be leaving his role in the US government in the coming months.

Meanwhile, the American leader continued to say he "doesn't need" a Tesla car, although he bought one last month as "a sign of support" for the 53-year-old.

He said he "paid a lot of money" for the car, but the vehicle was driven by White House staff.

The Tesla founder is currently serving in the White House as a “special government employee,” with 130 days of authority set to expire at the end of May. Trump mentioned on April 1 that Musk could return to running his companies and that “he wants to.”