WASHINGTON DC: Elon Musk has announced his departure from the Trump administration after playing a leading role in a controversial campaign to downsize the U.S. federal government, which resulted in the elimination of thousands of jobs.
In a statement posted on his platform, X, Musk—currently the world’s richest individual—expressed gratitude to former President Donald Trump for the opportunity to lead the Department of Government Efficiency, commonly referred to as Doge.
According to the BBC, Musk’s formal departure process began on Wednesday evening. His role as a “special government employee” was always intended to be temporary, so his exit does not come as a surprise. However, it closely follows his criticism of Trump’s flagship budget proposal.
“As my term as a Special Government Employee concludes, I want to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the chance to help curb wasteful spending,” Musk posted. “The @DOGE initiative will continue to grow stronger and become embedded in government culture.”
Musk, born in South Africa, had a limited appointment that allowed him to serve up to 130 days per year in a federal role. Based on the start date of Trump’s current term (January 20), his service period would naturally end around late May.
His exit, however, came just one day after voicing disappointment with Trump’s proposed budget, which includes large tax cuts and increased military funding. In an interview with CBS, Musk criticized the plan, calling it unsustainable and claiming it would balloon the federal deficit.
He also warned that the bill undercut the goals of the Doge program. “A bill can be big or it can be beautiful,” Musk said. “But I’m not sure it can be both.”
Musk had previously pledged to slash federal spending by $2 trillion. That target was later revised down to $1 trillion, and then again to $150 billion. Under the Doge initiative, about 260,000 of the 2.3 million civilian federal workers were either laid off or took voluntary exit packages.
Some of these job cuts were later reversed by court rulings, including cases where workers were mistakenly terminated, such as employees involved in the U.S. nuclear program.
In late April, Musk revealed plans to return full-time to his business ventures, including SpaceX and Tesla, after facing mounting criticism tied to his role in Trump’s efforts to overhaul Washington.
“Doge has become a scapegoat for everything,” Musk told the Washington Post during an event in Texas. “No matter what went wrong, we were blamed—even if we had no connection to it.”
His stint in government coincided with a drop in sales at Tesla, adding to the scrutiny surrounding his involvement in politics.
(Inputs from BBC/Agencies)
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