Faith Nyasuguta
Elon Musk has officially walked away from his role in the Trump administration, signaling a sharp break with the president over what the tech billionaire calls a bloated and counterproductive spending bill. Musk’s departure marks the end of his high-profile stint as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a cost-cutting initiative that had both fans and fierce critics.
In a post on X, Musk confirmed his exit, writing, “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.” He added, cryptically, “The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”
Musk’s decision comes just days after the House passed Trump’s massive new “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act,” which promises sweeping tax breaks and spending reforms. But Musk isn’t buying the optimism. In an interview with CBS News, he expressed frustration, saying the bill “increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing.”
Critics, including Musk, argue that the bill could balloon the national deficit by as much as $4 trillion over the next decade, despite White House claims that it’ll trim the fat off federal spending. Musk, who helped bankroll Trump’s 2024 campaign, joked grimly during the CBS interview, “A bill can be big, or it can be beautiful. But I don’t know if it can be both.”
The White House has been quick to manage the fallout. Stephen Miller, Trump’s Deputy Chief of Staff, took to Musk’s own platform to clarify: “The Big Beautiful Bill is NOT an annual budget bill. All DOGE cuts must be enacted through a separate piece of legislation targeting the federal bureaucracy.”
Despite the official response, Musk’s comments have stirred speculation that his relationship with Trump may be fraying. The South African-born billionaire had been a constant figure around the president during the early days of DOGE. But since April, Musk has been pulling back to refocus on his core companies, Tesla and Space X.
Speaking to the Washington Post from Space X’s Starbase in Texas, Musk voiced deeper frustrations: “DOGE is just becoming the whipping boy for everything. Something bad would happen anywhere, and we would get blamed for it even if we had nothing to do with it.”
He also slammed the inertia of Washington: “The federal bureaucracy situation is much worse than I realized,” Musk said. “It’s an uphill battle trying to improve things in DC, to say the least.”
While DOGE managed to slash tens of thousands of government jobs and close or shrink multiple departments, Musk acknowledged it didn’t go far enough. Some observers blamed his aggressive style and lack of political nuance. Still, he’s adamant the core idea was sound.
Meanwhile, his own businesses have taken hits. Tesla dealerships became protest sites, and a few vehicles were torched by angry demonstrators opposed to the cuts. “People were burning Teslas. Why would you do that? That’s really uncool,” Musk told the Post.
Space X has also had a rough patch. On Tuesday, the latest prototype of its Starship rocket exploded over the Indian Ocean, marking yet another setback in Musk’s mission to colonize Mars.
All of this may have contributed to Musk’s latest declaration that he plans to step back from politics altogether. Having reportedly poured over $250 million into Trump’s reelection efforts, Musk now says he’s done funding campaigns for the foreseeable future.
The move marks a notable shift in the political tech space. Once considered one of Trump’s strongest high-profile backers from the business world, Musk’s departure leaves a visible gap in the president’s inner circle of industry allies.
Whether DOGE will survive Musk’s departure remains to be seen. For now, the program continues to operate, albeit in the shadows of a controversial bill that may reverse much of the ground it gained. Musk, meanwhile, returns to his rockets and cars, seemingly relieved to be back in the private sector.
His final message on the matter was classic Musk: part farewell, part riddle. “Efficiency doesn’t end with DOGE,” he wrote. “It starts with it. Let’s see what the next mission looks like.”
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