Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has announced his departure from his role within the US government’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), citing a fundamental disagreement with President Donald Trump’s recently proposed spending legislation.
Musk, who had been appointed as a Special Government Employee with a mission to cut federal expenditures, made the announcement on Wednesday through a post on his social media platform, X.
“As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President Donald Trump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,” Musk wrote. He added that “The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”
The tech magnate’s resignation followed sharp criticism of Trump’s sweeping “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act,” which passed the House last week. Musk argued that the legislation would expand the national deficit and undo the efforts of DOGE, which has led extensive cost-cutting reforms, including the termination of tens of thousands of federal employees.
Musk’s frustration marks a notable shift in his relationship with Trump, whom he strongly supported during the 2024 campaign. Previously a constant figure in Trump’s orbit, Musk had begun distancing himself in April, shifting his focus back to Tesla and SpaceX.
In an interview with CBS News, he criticized the bill’s impact: “I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing.”
The bill, central to Trump’s domestic policy agenda, includes tax reductions and spending cuts, but critics warn it could increase the deficit by up to \$4 trillion over ten years and severely cut funding for health care. Musk questioned the feasibility of the legislation’s scope, stating, “A bill can be big, or it can be beautiful. But I don’t know if it can be both. My personal opinion.”
The White House responded cautiously. Stephen Miller, Trump’s Deputy Chief of Staff, emphasized via Musk’s own platform that the “Big Beautiful Bill” was not a regular budget bill and that DOGE-related cuts would require separate legislation.
Nonetheless, Musk’s public critique marks a rare rift with the Republican president. Musk had donated an estimated \$250 million to Trump’s re-election campaign, making him one of its largest financial backers.
Speaking with the Washington Post, Musk lamented that DOGE had become a scapegoat for public dissatisfaction with the administration. “DOGE is just becoming the whipping boy for everything,” he said from SpaceX’s Starbase site in Texas, ahead of the company’s latest rocket test.
Musk blamed entrenched bureaucratic resistance in Washington for obstructing DOGE’s progress, admitting that the challenge was more formidable than he had anticipated. “The federal bureaucracy situation is much worse than I realized. I thought there were problems, but it sure is an uphill battle trying to improve things in DC, to say the least.”
Despite implementing significant job cuts and departmental overhauls, Musk acknowledged that not all DOGE goals were met. His own ventures also bore the cost of his political involvement. Anti-DOGE protesters targeted Tesla outlets, with some resorting to arson against the company’s electric vehicles. Tesla’s profits took a hit during this period.
“People were burning Teslas. Why would you do that? That’s really uncool,” Musk remarked.
Meanwhile, Musk has shifted attention to SpaceX, especially after a recent setback when a Starship prototype exploded over the Indian Ocean. He also indicated a scaling back of his political donations, despite having already spent hundreds of millions supporting Trump’s return to power.
What you should know
Elon Musk has formally ended his stint in the US government after opposing President Trump’s major spending bill.
His resignation follows disagreements over the bill’s projected impact on the deficit and the perceived undermining of DOGE’s mission to reduce government waste.
Though Musk played a key role in Trump’s 2024 campaign and cut tens of thousands from federal payrolls, his time in Washington ended with frustration over entrenched bureaucracy and backlash affecting his own companies.
Musk now plans to refocus on his business ventures, including SpaceX, while reducing his financial involvement in politics.
