Elon Musk leaves White House but says Doge will continue

Elon Musk has announced his departure from the Trump administration, wrapping up his time as the head of a controversial government downsizing initiative that led to the elimination of hundreds of thousands of federal jobs.

In a message posted to his platform X, Musk thanked former President Donald Trump for appointing him to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a temporary role focused on trimming federal spending.

The White House reportedly began the process of ending Musk’s role as a “special government employee” on Wednesday night. This position allowed him to work for the federal government for up to 130 days per year, and sources suggest his exit was planned as he approached that annual limit.

Still, the timing of his departure raised eyebrows. It followed Musk’s public disapproval of Trump’s new budget proposal, which includes large tax cuts and increased military spending. In an interview with CBS, Musk criticized the bill for increasing the national deficit and said it “undermines the work” done by DOGE.

“I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful,” Musk quipped. “But not both.”

Initially promising to slash $2 trillion in federal spending, Musk later lowered his goal dramatically—to $150 billion. According to government estimates, around 260,000 civilian employees out of 2.3 million were either laid off or took voluntary exit deals under DOGE. Some terminations were later overturned by federal courts, and a few were even deemed mistaken, including critical staff from the U.S. nuclear program.

Musk cited mounting criticism and political backlash as reasons for stepping away. “DOGE is becoming the scapegoat for everything,” he told The Washington Post. “We’d get blamed for problems we didn’t even touch.”

His exit also coincides with a downturn in Tesla’s performance. The company reported a 13% drop in deliveries during the first quarter of the year—the worst in its history—and its stock plunged as much as 45% before partially recovering. Musk said in a recent investor call that he would be “spending significantly more time at Tesla.”

Protests and vandalism targeted Tesla dealerships across the U.S., prompting Attorney General Pam Bondi to warn that such acts could be prosecuted as domestic terrorism.

At an economic summit in Doha this week, Musk reaffirmed his commitment to lead Tesla for at least the next five years. Earlier in May, he said he planned to reduce political contributions after spending nearly $300 million supporting Trump and Republican candidates last year.