Musk leaves Trump gov’t with DOGE goals unmet
WASHINGTON—Billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk is leaving the Trump administration after leading a tumultuous efficiency drive, during which he upended several federal agencies, but ultimately failed to deliver the generational savings he had sought.
“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 his social media platform X earlier Wednesday.
His “off-boarding will begin tonight,” a White House official told Reuters late Wednesday, confirming Musk’s departure from government.
His departure marks the end of a turbulent chapter that included thousands of layoffs, the evisceration of government agencies and reams of litigation. Despite the upheaval, the billionaire entrepreneur struggled in the unfamiliar environment of Washington, and he accomplished far less than he hoped.
He dramatically reduced his target for cutting spending—from $2 trillion to $1 trillion to $150 billion—and increasingly expressed frustration about resistance to his goals. Sometimes he clashed with other top members of Trump’s administration, who chafed at the newcomer’s efforts to reshape their departments. He also faced fierce political blowback for his efforts.
Tax bill critique
Musk’s 130-day mandate as a special government employee in the Trump administration was set to expire around May 30.
The administration has said the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) efforts to restructure and shrink the federal government will continue.
“The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government,” Musk said.
He had recently signaled that he would be shifting his attention back to running his businesses, such as the electric automaker Tesla and the rocket company SpaceX.
His departure was quick and unceremonious. He did not have a formal conversation with US President Donald Trump before announcing his exit, according to a source with knowledge of the matter, who added that his departure was decided “at a senior staff level.”
The decision was announced a day after CBS released part of an interview in which Musk criticized the centerpiece of Trump’s legislative agenda by saying he was “disappointed” by what the president calls his “big beautiful bill.”
The legislation includes a mix of tax cuts and enhanced immigration enforcement. Musk described it as a “massive spending bill” that increases the federal deficit and “undermines the work” of DOGE.
“I think a bill can be big or it could be beautiful,” Musk said. “But I don’t know if it could be both.”
Some senior White House officials, including Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, were particularly irked by Musk’s comments on the bill, and the White House was forced to call Republican senators to reiterate Trump’s support for the package, a source familiar with the matter said.
Trump, speaking in the Oval Office on Wednesday, also defended his agenda by talking about the delicate politics involved with negotiating the legislation.
“I’m not happy about certain aspects of it, but I’m thrilled by other aspects of it,” Trump said. He also suggested that more changes could be made.
Clash with officials
While Musk remains close to the president, his exit comes after a gradual, but steady slide in standing.
After Trump’s inauguration, the billionaire quickly emerged as a powerful force in Trump’s orbit: hyper-visible, unapologetically brash and unfettered by traditional norms. At the Conservative Political Action Conference in February, he brandished a red metallic chainsaw to wild cheers. “This is the chainsaw for bureaucracy,” he declared.
On the campaign trail, Musk had said DOGE would be able to cut at least $2 trillion in federal spending. He did not hide his animus for the federal workforce, and he predicted that revoking “the COVID-era privilege” of telework would trigger “a wave of voluntary terminations that we welcome.”
But some Cabinet members who initially embraced Musk’s outsider energy grew wary of his tactics, sources said. Over time, they grew more confident pushing back against his job cuts, encouraged by Trump’s reminder in early March that staffing decisions rested with department secretaries, not with Musk.
Musk clashed with three of Trump’s most senior Cabinet members—Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
He called Trump’s trade adviser Peter Navarro a “moron” and “dumber than a sack of bricks.” Navarro dismissed the insults, saying, “I’ve been called worse.”
Reducing workforce
Trump and DOGE have managed to cut nearly 12 percent, or 260,000, of the 2.3 million-strong federal civilian workforce largely through threats of firings, buyouts and early retirement offers, a Reuters review of agency departures found.
Musk’s political activities have drawn protests and some investors have called for him to leave his work as Trump’s adviser and more closely manage Tesla, which has seen falls in sales and its stock price.
Musk, the world’s richest person, has defended his role as an unelected official who was granted unprecedented authority by Trump to dismantle parts of the US government.
He, however, occasionally appeared chastened by his experience working in government.
“The federal bureaucracy situation is much worse than I realized,” he told The Washington Post. “I thought there were problems, but it sure is an uphill battle trying to improve things in DC, to say the least.”
Having spent nearly $300 million to back Trump’s presidential campaign and other Republicans last year, Musk said earlier this month he would substantially cut his political spending.
“I think I’ve done enough,” he said.
