Tesla CEO Elon Musk has stepped down as a ‘Special Government Employee’ and top adviser to US President Donald Trump after spearheading efforts to cut wasteful government spending through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
His exit, confirmed on Wednesday evening, follows months of upheaval and political resistance.
Musk, who thanked Trump for the opportunity, said his departure marked the natural end of his temporary advisory role. “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,” Musk wrote on X, the social media platform he owns. “The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”
Setbacks and scaled-down targets
The billionaire entrepreneur, more familiar with boardrooms than bureaucracies, had hoped to slash $2 trillion in federal spending. But over time, that figure was scaled down dramatically first to $1 trillion, then to $150 billion amid pushback from both political leaders and government agencies.
Despite heading DOGE, Musk clashed with senior Trump administration officials who were resistant to his proposed reforms. His tenure saw a wave of agency cutbacks and job losses, along with growing litigation from affected stakeholders. But ultimately, his achievements fell short of expectations, and his frustration with Washington politics became increasingly evident.
Disagreement over Trump’s signature bill
Musk’s decision to step down came just a day after, reportedly, an interview was aired in which he criticised Trump’s flagship legislation — a sweeping tax-and-immigration reform package — calling it a “massive spending bill” that “undermines the work” of DOGE.
“I think a bill can be big or it could be beautiful,” Musk said. “But I don’t know if it could be both.”
President Trump, when asked about Musk’s criticism, acknowledged some concerns with the legislation but said negotiations were ongoing. “I’m not happy about certain aspects of it, but I’m thrilled by other aspects of it,” he said. “We’re going to see what happens. It’s got a way to go.”
Republican lawmakers echo concerns
Musk’s comments found support among some Republicans. Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson said, “I sympathise with Elon being discouraged,” and indicated there was enough dissent within the Senate to slow down the bill’s progress.
Speaking in Milwaukee, Johnson remarked that he was “pretty confident” about resisting pressure from party leadership. “There’s no amount of pressure Trump could put on me to change my position,” he said.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson urged the Senate to preserve the bill as passed by the House, warning that any major alterations could disrupt the “very delicate balance” required to get it through the narrowly divided chamber again.
