Elon Musk exits government role, refocuses on Tesla pursuits
Elon Musk is leaving the U.S. administration, where he served as one of the chief advisors to President Donald Trump and the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The 53-year-old Elon Musk announced his decision on Wednesday in a post on his social media platform X. The Associated Press notes that this marks the end of a turbulent period characterized by thousands of layoffs and a comprehensive restructuring of government agencies. Although Musk undertook many initiatives, their outcomes were significantly more modest than anticipated.
Initially, Musk planned to reduce government spending by $2 billion, but ultimately he managed to reduce it to $150 billion. He faced strong opposition from other members of the Trump administration who resisted his reforms.
"As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President Donald Trump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending," Musk stated.
Musk, who is one of the richest people in the world and the owner of well-known companies such as Tesla and SpaceX, had previously announced a break from politics to dedicate himself to business management.
His departure coincided with public criticism of a key legislative element of the Trump administration, which he described as a "huge budget bill." In an interview with CBS, Musk expressed disappointment with what President Trump called his "big, beautiful bill." He argued that size cannot be reconciled with aesthetics.
Musk frustrated with politics
AP notes that despite initially investing at least $250 million in Trump's campaign and expressing strong support for the president, Musk became increasingly frustrated over time with the bureaucratic challenges of Washington. He admitted that the clash with the federal administration was "much more difficult than I anticipated." He described his efforts for reform as a "tough battle."
The White House sent Congress a budget cut proposal totaling $9.4 billion, including reductions in funding for public radio and television as well as foreign aid. Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson announced further cuts based on DOGE's findings.
According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Trump's legislative package will increase the federal deficit by $3.8 trillion over the next decade. This contradicts the argument of Republicans, who claim that economic growth will offset the budgetary effects.
