Elon Musk is stepping down from his role in the Trump administration, where he served as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk announced on X (formerly Twitter) that his time as a "special government employee" was coming to an end, in line with legal limits on his term.
During his tenure, Musk aimed to cut government spending and reduce bureaucracy, but his initial goal to slash $2 trillion was reduced several times and faced internal resistance. His tenure saw controversy, especially regarding drastic cuts to humanitarian efforts, and questions were raised about whether his department actually saved taxpayers as much as claimed.
Musk’s departure comes amid increasing pressure to focus on his businesses like Tesla, SpaceX, and X. Shortly before Musk’s announcement, his father told Sky News that Elon is “not a very good politician” but remains on top of his businesses. The move also coincided with a US court blocking President Trump’s plan for broad global tariffs.
Musk did not have a formal conversation with Trump before his public announcement. Despite his exit, Musk said DOGE’s work to cut government waste would continue. There is no public rift between Musk and Trump, according to Elon’s father.
sources:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz9y4exj822o
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/5/29/why-has-elon-musk-quit-donald-trumps-administration
https://time.com/7289045/musk-trump-big-beautiful-bill-national-debt-deficit-disappointed-doge/
http://news.sky.com/story/elon-musk-says-he-is-stepping-down-from-the-trump-administration-13376239