Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has officially confirmed his exit from the Trump administration, ending his controversial role as a special government employee leading the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge).
In a statement shared on his social media platform X, Musk expressed gratitude to former President Donald Trump for the opportunity to head the Doge initiative, which focused on cutting federal spending and streamlining government bureaucracy. “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. “The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”
Musk’s temporary appointment allowed him to serve up to 130 days per year, a legal arrangement designed to incorporate outside experts into government functions. Sources told the BBC that the White House began the process of “offboarding” Musk on Wednesday night, coinciding with his public criticism of Trump’s newly proposed budget.
The timing of Musk’s departure is notable. Just a day prior, he publicly condemned the administration’s budget bill—its key economic policy—calling it fiscally irresponsible. In an interview with CBS, Musk stated that the bill, which includes major tax breaks and increased defense spending, would “increase the federal deficit” and “undermines the work” of the Doge program.
“I think a bill can be big or it could be beautiful,” Musk remarked. “But I don’t know if it could be both.”
While initially pledging to cut $2 trillion in federal expenses, Musk later lowered the goal to $150 billion. The Doge program reportedly led to the elimination of about 260,000 federal jobs from a civilian workforce of 2.3 million, through layoffs and voluntary redundancies. However, this aggressive downsizing caused errors, including the mistaken firing of employees from critical agencies such as the US nuclear program, prompting court orders for some reinstatements.
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Musk’s Washington tenure was marked by frequent conflicts with senior Trump officials and mounting public scrutiny. In April, he announced plans to scale back his government role to refocus on his businesses, stating Doge had become “the whipping boy for everything.”
“Something bad would happen anywhere, and we would get blamed for it even if we had nothing to do with it,” Musk told the Washington Post at a recent SpaceX event in Texas.
His time in public office also coincided with difficulties for his corporate ventures. Tesla recorded a 13 percent drop in sales during the first quarter of 2025—the steepest decline in the company’s history—and its stock plunged as much as 45 percent before a modest recovery.
Tesla has since warned investors of ongoing uncertainties, pointing to “changing political sentiment” as a possible threat to demand. Musk confirmed during an earnings call that he would significantly reduce time spent on Doge to concentrate on Tesla.
Meanwhile, Tesla dealerships and charging stations have experienced a surge in protests and vandalism, with activists targeting the brand due to Musk’s political ties. US Attorney General Pam Bondi condemned the vandalism as “domestic terrorism.”
Speaking at the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha, Musk reaffirmed his commitment to Tesla, pledging to lead the company for the next five years. He also indicated a withdrawal from political activities, announcing plans to scale back political donations after spending nearly $300 million supporting Trump’s re-election campaign and other Republican efforts last year.
