Washington, D.C., May 29 — Elon Musk Steps Down from US Government Role After Budget Dispute with Trump. Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk on Wednesday declared his departure from a temporary advisory role within the U.S. government. His announcement followed a notable disagreement with President Donald Trump over a controversial federal spending bill. Musk had served as a Special Government Employee, heading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), with a mission to reduce bureaucratic waste.
Posting on his social media platform X, Musk stated, “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.” However, he also added that the DOGE mission would continue to evolve, suggesting its long-term potential.
Clashing Views on Federal Budget Priorities
The conflict intensified when Trump’s administration introduced the “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act.” While the bill promises tax relief and selective cuts, Musk criticized it for inflating the deficit and undermining DOGE’s core efforts. In an interview with CBS News, Musk said, “I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it.”
The White House attempted to contain the fallout. Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller emphasized on X that the bill in question was not an annual budget and that DOGE cuts would still require separate legislative actions.
Nevertheless, Musk’s comments marked a rare public rift with the president he helped re-elect in 2024 as a major campaign donor.
DOGE’s Mixed Record and Public Backlash
Despite Musk’s initial enthusiasm, DOGE quickly became a magnet for criticism. According to Musk, the department—largely staffed with young tech experts—became unfairly targeted for broader discontent with federal policies. “DOGE is just becoming the whipping boy for everything,” he noted in an interview with the Washington Post.
He attributed the limited success of DOGE to entrenched bureaucratic resistance, acknowledging, “The federal bureaucracy situation is much worse than I realized.” Reports also indicated that Musk’s authoritarian management style and unfamiliarity with political norms hindered progress.
While DOGE succeeded in laying off tens of thousands of federal employees and shutting down several departments, the backlash was swift. Protesters vandalized Tesla dealerships, and a few electric vehicles were even set on fire. These acts of defiance contributed to Tesla’s profit slump.
Shifting Focus Back to Private Ventures
As government service took a toll on his businesses, Musk began retreating to focus on SpaceX and Tesla. Following multiple failed Mars colonization attempts—most recently a Starship explosion over the Indian Ocean—he has recommitted to innovation in space travel. He also vowed to reduce political spending, having poured nearly a quarter of a billion dollars into Trump’s re-election.
In conclusion, while his tenure with the federal government stirred controversy, Elon Musk’s influence on the national conversation around spending and bureaucracy remains significant.
