Elon Musk Steps Down From US Govt Role After Disagreement With Trump

Billionaire entrepreneur, Elon Musk has on Wednesday announced that he would be stepping down from his role in the US government following a rare public disagreement with President Donald Trump over a major federal spending initiative.

“My time as a Special Government Employee has concluded, and I’m grateful to President Donald Trump for the opportunity to help cut unnecessary spending,” Musk posted on his social media platform, X.

He added that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the initiative he led, would continue to grow stronger as its mission becomes more ingrained within government operations.

The South African-born businessman recently criticized Trump’s latest spending bill, arguing that it would worsen the national deficit and hinder the progress made by DOGE, which has overseen mass layoffs in a bid to reduce bureaucracy.

Previously a close ally of Trump, Musk had distanced himself in recent weeks to concentrate on his private ventures, including SpaceX and Tesla. 

He voiced concerns that DOGE had become a scapegoat for broader dissatisfaction with the administration’s policies.

In an interview with CBS News, Musk expressed frustration with the proposed legislation: “I was disappointed to see the passage of such a massive spending bill that not only increases the deficit but also undermines the efforts of DOGE.”

The bill, titled the “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act,” passed in the House last week and is now under consideration in the Senate. 

While the legislation includes sweeping tax reforms and proposed cuts, critics argue it could severely impact healthcare and inflate the deficit by up to $4 trillion over ten years.

“A bill can be big, or it can be beautiful — but I’m not sure it can be both,” Musk quipped during the interview, which is scheduled to air in full on Sunday.

In response to Musk’s remarks, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller took to X to clarify that the legislation is not an annual budget and that DOGE-related spending reductions would need separate legislation, per Senate rules.

Musk’s departure highlights an unusual break from the president, especially notable given the tech mogul’s major financial support for Trump’s 2024 campaign.

Appointed to head DOGE with the aim of slashing government spending, Musk began scaling back his involvement in April, citing the need to focus more on his companies. 

In a conversation with the Washington Post, he lamented that DOGE had become a target for critics.

“DOGE is turning into the scapegoat for anything that goes wrong,” he said, speaking from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Texas before a launch event.

He also pointed to the entrenched nature of federal bureaucracy as a barrier to meaningful reform, while acknowledging his own missteps in navigating Washington’s political landscape.

“I underestimated how tough it would be to get things done in D.C.,” Musk admitted. “It’s much worse than I thought.”

Though DOGE achieved significant staff reductions across federal agencies, Musk conceded it fell short of its broader goals. 

Meanwhile, the backlash spilled into his business ventures: Tesla dealerships became the target of protests and arson, and the company’s profits took a hit.

“People were literally setting Teslas on fire. That’s just not right,” Musk said.

As DOGE winds down, Musk has renewed his focus on SpaceX, even as the company faced another setback this week when its prototype Starship exploded over the Indian Ocean.

He also indicated he would be retreating from political funding efforts, having already contributed approximately $250 million to Trump’s campaign.