Billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk has announced his departure from his role in the Trump administration just a day after criticising President Donald Trump’s tax bill.
Taking to X, his social media platform, Musk stated, “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 oversaw the “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), an initiative aimed at downsizing federal operations. His 130-day tenure officially ends around May 30. While no direct conversation took place between Musk and Trump before the exit, a White House official confirmed that off-boarding procedures began immediately.
Musk, who had been given sweeping authority to restructure the federal bureaucracy, criticised Trump’s tax legislation as overly expensive and counterproductive to DOGE’s goals. He revealed that reducing government inefficiencies was more difficult than anticipated.
During his time in office, DOGE contributed to a 12% cut in the federal civilian workforce—approximately 260,000 jobs—achieved through buyouts, early retirements, and layoffs. Musk also disclosed plans to significantly reduce his political donations, saying, “I think I’ve done enough.”
