Elon Musk has stepped down from his role as a senior adviser to President Donald Trump, ending months of tension in Washington over the tech billionaire’s efforts to slash federal spending.
Musk announced his departure in a post on X, his own social media platform, saying:
“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.”
The decision comes after a stormy period in the capital, where Musk led the Department of Government Efficiency — known by the acronym DOGE — a Trump-created office meant to trim back what he called “bloated bureaucracy.”
But the entrepreneur known for rockets and electric cars found the machinery of government harder to navigate than he’d expected.
“The federal bureaucracy situation is much worse than I realised,” Musk admitted in a recent interview with The Washington Post. “It sure is an uphill battle trying to improve things in D.C., to say the least.”
His time in government has been marked by a dramatic scaling back of his ambitions. Musk initially aimed to cut $2 trillion in spending. That goal shrank to $1 trillion, then just $150 billion.
Even that proved a struggle.
White House officials say Musk clashed often with other members of the administration, some of whom saw him as a meddler with little political experience. The result was a string of high-profile spats and legal challenges — and a long list of government staffers shown the door.
Disagreement With Trump’s Key Bill
Musk’s exit was not unexpected. But the timing, just one day after he publicly criticised President Trump’s flagship legislative plan, raised eyebrows.
In an interview with CBS, Musk called the bill — a mix of tax cuts and immigration rules — a “massive spending bill” that ran counter to DOGE’s mission.
“I think a bill can be big or it could be beautiful,” Musk said. “But I don’t know if it could be both.”
Trump, speaking from the Oval Office, pushed back, insisting the bill was the result of “delicate politics.”
“I’m not happy about certain aspects of it, but I’m thrilled by other aspects of it,” the president said. “We’re going to see what happens.”
The bill, which recently cleared the House and is now before the Senate, remains deeply divisive. Critics warn it will push the country deeper into debt, while supporters say it will boost economic growth.
According to a preliminary report from the Congressional Budget Office, the bill’s tax provisions would increase the federal deficit by $3.8 trillion over the next decade. Cuts to welfare programmes would save about $1 trillion.
Independent watchdog The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates the legislation will add $3 trillion in new debt, once interest is factored in.
Frustrations From All Sides
Musk’s concerns have found a sympathetic ear among some Republicans.
Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin said he “sympathised” with Musk’s disappointment, telling reporters in Milwaukee:
“There’s enough opposition to slow this process down until the president and our leadership get serious about reducing spending.”
Others, including Senator Mike Lee of Utah, echoed Musk’s views, calling for a tougher Senate version of the bill.
“It can, it must, and it will be. Or it won’t pass,” Lee said.
Even House Republicans who supported the original measure admitted the next phase would be tricky.
Speaker Mike Johnson warned senators against making major changes, saying the House had struck a “very delicate balance” that could fall apart.
Musk Bows Out — But His Influence May Linger
For Musk, the shift back to his business empire comes with some relief. He hinted he would also tone down his political involvement.
“I think I’ve done enough,” he said.
Yet it wasn’t long ago that Musk was a vocal Trump backer, pumping $250 million into campaign coffers and declaring his admiration openly.
“Frankly, I love him,” Musk said in February. “The more I’ve gotten to know President Trump, the more I like the guy.”
Trump called him “a truly great American,” and at one point turned the White House driveway into a Tesla showroom to support the company.
Still, Musk’s government experience appears to have taken the shine off that relationship — and off the idea that big tech can easily fix big government.
Whether his criticisms will derail Trump’s spending plans is unclear. But for now, one of the administration’s most headline-grabbing outsiders is heading back to familiar ground: the private sector, where the only red tape is on the factory floor.
