Elon Musk Parts Ways With Trump Administration But Declares “DOGE Mission Will Only Strengthen”

Posted on by EDITORIAL FEATURES

Billionaire Elon Musk has announced that his tenure as head of Donald Trump’s cost-cutting task force is nearing its conclusion.

Posting on his social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, Musk expressed gratitude to Trump for the chance to help oversee the Department of Government Efficiency, commonly referred to as Doge.

Musk served as a “special government employee,” a role that allowed him to work in a federal capacity for up to 130 days each year. With Trump’s inauguration on January 20, Musk is set to reach that annual limit by late May.

His departure follows recent criticism of Trump’s signature budget bill—a cornerstone of the president’s legislative agenda—which Musk described as “big, beautiful,” but ultimately disappointing.

“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 on X. “The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”

According to the BBC, the White House will begin the process of formally offboarding Musk from his government role on Wednesday night.

Musk’s exit comes after he voiced disappointment with Trump’s budget proposal, which includes multi-trillion dollar tax cuts and increased defense spending. In an interview with CBS, the SpaceX and Tesla CEO warned that the bill would expand the federal deficit and “undermines the work” being done at Doge.

Musk, a prominent Republican donor, leaves after a turbulent stint in politics that made him one of Trump’s closest advisers, even as Tesla’s profits declined sharply.

Tesla recently cautioned investors that financial challenges may persist, declining to provide a growth outlook and noting that “changing political sentiment” could significantly impact demand for its vehicles.

On a recent earnings call, Musk informed investors that his involvement with Doge would “drop significantly” and that he planned to dedicate much more of his time to Tesla.