Elon Musk step down from the Trump administration
Elon Musk step down from the Trump administration following a disagreement regarding the 'big beautiful bill'
Elon Musk’s tenure as a special government employee and the “first buddy” to President Donald Trump has officially concluded. In a post on X, the world’s wealthiest individual expressed gratitude towards Trump and lauded the legacy of DOGE, asserting it would evolve into “a way of life throughout the government.”
Musk has finalized his involvement with President Donald Trump’s administration. In a post on X, the billionaire CEO of Tesla revealed the conclusion of his formal role as an unpaid special government employee with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
“As my designated time as a Special Government Employee draws to a close, I want to extend my thanks to President Donald Trump for the chance to help minimize wasteful spending,” Musk stated. “The mission of DOGE will only grow stronger over time as it becomes a way of life across the government.”
Earlier in April, Musk had committed to dedicating “a day or two each week to government affairs for as long as the President wishes me to do so, provided it is beneficial” to reassure Tesla investors who were urging the CEO to concentrate on the electric vehicle company. At that moment, Musk indicated he would need to persist with DOGE to prevent the “waste and fraud” from resurfacing.
“I’ll have to keep at it,” Musk informed Tesla investors and analysts during an earnings call. “I believe we have the rest of the President’s term to ensure that the waste and fraud we halted do not come back with a vengeance, which they will if given the opportunity.”
Nevertheless, some observers pointed out that the timing appeared to align with a CBS News interview teased yesterday, where Musk expressed his disappointment in Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ and remarked that it “undermines the efforts of the DOGE team.”
“I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful, but I’m not sure it can be both,” Musk commented during the interview.
Trump's legislative plan features an extensive array of significant tax reductions, more stringent requirements for Medicaid and food assistance, and over $45 billion allocated for immigration and border security, alongside an additional $150 billion earmarked for new defense expenditures.
In July 2024, Musk publicly supported Trump shortly after an assassination attempt on him, and it was later reported that Musk pledged approximately $45 million each month to a new pro-Trump super PAC named America PAC.
Following the election, Trump revealed that Musk and his former presidential contender Vivek Ramaswamy would head a new initiative called the "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE). Musk referred to himself as the "First Buddy," while President-Elect Trump humorously remarked that he "couldn’t get rid of" Musk and that "Elon won’t go home."
Under Musk's leadership, DOGE claimed to have saved over $160 billion, which was significantly less than the $1 trillion Musk had originally targeted to eliminate in government waste. The DOGE team advocated for the exit and retirement of thousands of federal employees and reduced funding for foreign food and medical assistance.
A New York Times report indicated that nearly 60,000 federal jobs had been eliminated, with an additional 76,000 opting for buyouts, and there are plans to cut nearly 150,000 more positions.