Elon Musk Steps Down from Government Role
Washington: Elon Musk has officially stepped down from his government role as a top advisor to President Donald Trump. Musk had been leading an effort to reduce the size of the federal government, but his time in Washington was full of challenges and disagreements.
His exit, announced Wednesday evening, ends a rocky chapter that saw thousands of government workers lose their jobs, many government departments get shut down, and several lawsuits filed. Although Musk started with big goals, he wasn’t able to reach most of them.
At first, Musk wanted to cut $2 trillion from the federal budget. Later, he lowered that goal to $1 trillion, and finally to $150 billion. He often showed frustration with how slowly things were moving and how much pushback he received from inside the government.
Musk also had conflicts with other members of Trump’s team. Some of them didn’t like the way he tried to change their departments. His ideas led to strong criticism from politicians on both sides of the aisle.
From the beginning, Musk’s job was meant to be temporary. He recently hinted that he would return to focusing on his companies, like Tesla and SpaceX. Even so, it wasn’t clear when he would actually leave his role. He finally made the announcement on X, the social media site he owns.
“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.” DOGE stands for the Department of Government Efficiency, the office Musk led.
A White House official later confirmed Musk’s departure but asked to remain anonymous.
Musk’s announcement came one day after he criticized Trump’s main legislative plan in a CBS interview. He said he was “disappointed” by the so-called “big, beautiful bill,” which includes tax cuts and tighter immigration rules.
Musk argued the bill was actually a “massive spending bill” that increased the national debt and “undermined” his efforts to cut government waste. “I think a bill can be big or it could be beautiful. But I don’t know if it could be both,” he said.
In response, President Trump said in the Oval Office that while he wasn’t happy with all parts of the bill, he supported it overall. “We’re going to see what happens. It’s got a way to go,” he added.
The bill has already passed the House of Representatives and is now being debated in the Senate. Some Republican lawmakers agree with Musk’s concerns. Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin said he felt the same frustration and hoped the bill would be slowed down so more cuts could be added.
House Speaker Mike Johnson thanked Musk for his work and promised that lawmakers would continue using the DOGE office’s recommendations. He said the House is “ready to act” on Musk’s ideas to reduce spending.
Meanwhile, the White House is preparing a plan to cancel more than $9 billion in previously approved spending. This includes cutting $1.1 billion from public broadcasting and $8.3 billion in foreign aid.
Looking back, Musk admitted that working in government was harder than he expected. “The federal bureaucracy situation is much worse than I realized,” he said. “It’s an uphill battle trying to improve things in D.C.”
He also said he plans to cut back on his political donations, saying, “I think I’ve done enough.”
Musk had once been excited to help change Washington. He donated $250 million to Trump’s campaign and spoke at rallies. He often praised the president, once saying, “The more I’ve gotten to know President Trump, the more I like the guy. Frankly, I love him.”
Trump, in turn, called Musk “a truly great American.”
It’s still unclear if Musk’s comments about the bill will have any effect on the Senate debate, especially now that he’s no longer part of the administration.
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1927877957852266518
Highlights:
Elon Musk stepped down as a top advisor to President Trump after leading government spending cuts.
Originally aimed to cut $2 trillion, but lowered the goal to $150 billion due to resistance.
Clashed with Trump officials and criticized Trump’s major spending bill.
Announced his exit via X, saying DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) will continue.
White House plans to cancel over $9 billion in spending, including public broadcasting and foreign aid.
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