Tech billionaire Elon Musk has announced his departure from the Trump administration, where he served as a Special Government Employee leading a high-profile federal cost-cutting initiative.
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Musk confirmed his exit Wednesday evening via his social media platform, X, stating, “As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending.”
During his months-long tenure, Musk was a leading figure in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a Trump-era initiative aimed at slashing federal expenditures. “The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government,” he added.
A White House official, speaking anonymously, confirmed Musk’s departure to both Reuters and the Associated Press. His exit coincides with the 130-day limit for special government employees under U.S. federal law.
Musk joined the Trump administration in January 2025 with a bold pledge to eliminate at least $1 trillion in government spending. However, data on the DOGE website indicates that the department has achieved approximately $175 billion in savings to date—an estimated $1,088.96 per taxpayer.
Despite Musk’s departure, the White House has reiterated that DOGE’s work will continue. “Efforts to restructure and streamline federal operations are ongoing,” the official stated.
Although Musk was once a key ally of President Trump—donating nearly $300 million to support his re-election campaign—the relationship between the two appears to have cooled in recent months.
Over the weekend, Musk publicly criticized the president’s signature “big, beautiful bill,” a sweeping 1,000-page legislative proposal that extends 2017 tax cuts while introducing new work requirements for food aid and Medicaid. The bill also earmarks funding for border wall construction and increased immigration enforcement.
“I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit—not decreases it—and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing,” Musk said during an appearance on CBS Sunday Morning. “I think a bill can be big, or it can be beautiful, but I don’t know if it can be both. My personal opinion.”
According to the Congressional Budget Office, the proposed legislation could add $3.9 trillion to the national deficit by 2034—effectively negating the cost-saving efforts championed by DOGE.
In response, President Trump stated that negotiations on the bill were ongoing. “We will be negotiating that bill, and I’m not happy about certain aspects of it, but I’m thrilled by other aspects of it. That’s the way they go,” he told reporters.
While Trump has avoided directly criticising Musk, sources cited by Politico say friction between the billionaire and senior White House figures, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, had been escalating since April.
Musk’s government tenure has also drawn criticism from voters and political analysts, particularly in key battleground states. In an April state Supreme Court race in Wisconsin, Musk-backed conservative candidates failed to gain traction despite a $20 million campaign effort.
A joint Washington Post–ABC News poll conducted that same month showed Musk’s approval rating for his role in the Trump administration sitting at just 35%.
Amid rising scrutiny and corporate challenges—including Tesla’s worst quarterly performance since 2022—Musk indicated earlier this month that he would scale back his political involvement.
“Back to spending 24/7 at work and sleeping in conference/server/factory rooms,” he posted on X. “I must be super focused on X/xAI and Tesla (plus Starship launch next week), as we have critical technologies rolling out.”
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