Elon Musk exits Trump’s DOGE role, cites spending bill dispute and term end

Elon Musk has officially stepped down as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), concluding his term as a Special Government Employee. His departure follows public criticism of President Donald Trump's "One Big, Beautiful Bill Act," which Musk said "increases the budget deficit" and "undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing."

Musk's tenure was marked by ambitious goals to slash federal spending, initially targeting $2 trillion in savings, later revised down to $150 billion. Despite firing over 260,000 federal employees—about 12% of the civilian workforce—Musk expressed frustration with entrenched bureaucracy, stating, "The federal bureaucracy situation is much worse than I realized."

His criticism of Trump's spending bill, which paired tax cuts with increased military and border spending, represented a rare public break with the president. Musk remarked, "A bill can be big, or it can be beautiful. But I don't know if it can be both." Senator Ron Johnson echoed Musk's concerns, warning of Republican opposition unless fiscal issues are addressed.

Musk's exit also coincides with his decision to refocus on his private ventures, including Tesla and SpaceX, amid challenges such as arson attacks on dealerships and mission setbacks.

Despite initial enthusiasm for Musk's outsider approach, some cabinet members grew wary of his aggressive job-cutting tactics, with Trump reminding that staffing decisions rested with department secretaries.

Musk thanked President Trump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending, but his departure casts uncertainty on the future of DOGE and its mission to streamline government efficiency.

Key quotes:
"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."
"A bill can be big, or it can be beautiful. But I don't know if it can be both. My personal opinion."
"The federal bureaucracy situation is much worse than I realized."

Key stats:
- Nearly 12% (260,000) of the 2.3 million federal civilian workforce cut during Musk's tenure.
- Initial savings target of $2 trillion revised down to $150 billion.

Musk's departure marks the end of a turbulent chapter in government reform efforts, highlighting the challenges of cutting federal spending amid political and institutional resistance.

Elon Musk announced his exit as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), citing the end of his term and disagreement with President Trump's 'big, beautiful' spending bill, which Musk said increases the deficit and undermines DOGE's efforts to cut wasteful federal spending.