Elon Musk steps down from Trump administration role

Thursday 29 May 2025 - 08:01

By: Zahouani Ilham

Elon Musk steps down from Trump administration role

Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur and CEO of Tesla, has announced his departure from President Donald Trump’s administration, where he served as a Special Government Employee focused on reducing federal expenditures.

Posting on the social media platform X, Musk expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve, stating, “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.” He also emphasized the long-term impact of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an initiative he helped lead, saying it “will only strengthen over time.”

A White House official confirmed Musk’s exit to Reuters and the Associated Press. Musk had joined the administration in January, pledging to help cut $1 trillion from the federal budget. However, official DOGE figures show approximately $175 billion in savings an average of $1,088.96 per taxpayer.

His departure aligns with the 130-day limit imposed on special government employees. Despite Musk’s exit, the White House has assured that efforts to trim government spending and restructure federal operations through DOGE will continue.

Tensions between Musk and Trump have reportedly grown, especially since Musk contributed nearly $300 million to support Trump’s re-election campaign. Over the past weekend, Musk criticized Trump’s new “big, beautiful bill” a 1,000-page proposal that extends the 2017 tax cuts and introduces new work requirements for government aid programs like Medicaid and food assistance.

Speaking to CBS Sunday Morning, Musk expressed disappointment, arguing that the bill “increases the budget deficit” and undermines DOGE’s objectives. The legislation also allocates funds for Trump’s signature initiatives, such as the US-Mexico border wall and increased immigration enforcement.

The bill passed the House of Representatives and is awaiting Senate consideration. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that if passed, the bill could increase the national deficit by $3.9 trillion by 2034 effectively negating DOGE’s savings.

Commenting further, Musk told CBS, “A bill can be big, or it can be beautiful, but I don’t know if it can be both.”

President Trump, when asked about Musk’s criticism, said discussions about the bill were ongoing, noting, “We will be negotiating that bill. I’m not happy about certain aspects of it, but I’m thrilled by other aspects.”

Although Trump has refrained from directly criticizing Musk, reports have surfaced about internal clashes between Musk and Cabinet members, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio. According to Politico, Musk’s departure had been in discussion since April following conflicts with top White House aides.

Additionally, some of Musk’s proposed budget cuts have drawn backlash from voters, particularly in battleground states. Earlier this year, Musk spent $20 million to back a conservative candidate in Wisconsin’s Supreme Court race without success. A Washington Post-ABC News poll in April also showed only 35% approval for Musk’s role in the Trump administration.

Amid growing criticism, Musk announced plans to scale back his political involvement and refocus on his companies. “Back to spending 24/7 at work and sleeping in conference/server/factory rooms,” he posted. He noted upcoming priorities including Tesla, X, xAI, and the launch of SpaceX’s Starship.