Washington, D.C., May 29, 2025 – The Europe Today: Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk announced on Wednesday that he is stepping down from his role as a Special Government Employee tasked with reducing federal spending, marking his first major break with President Donald Trump over the administration’s expansive new spending bill.
In a statement posted on his social media platform X, Musk said: “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.” He also reaffirmed his commitment to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), stating, “The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”
Musk’s resignation follows his growing discontent with President Trump’s flagship legislation — the “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act” — which recently passed the House of Representatives. Musk warned that the bill would significantly increase the federal deficit and undermine the progress made by DOGE, which has overseen the dismissal of tens of thousands of federal employees in its cost-cutting efforts.
In an interview with CBS News, Musk criticized the bill, saying, “I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing.” A full version of the interview is scheduled to air Sunday.
Despite his early and vocal support for Trump — including being the largest donor to his 2024 presidential campaign — Musk’s recent comments reflect a rare and sharp divergence from the Republican president’s fiscal strategy. Musk has accused entrenched federal bureaucracy of stymying DOGE’s initiatives and claimed the department had become a “whipping boy” for political dissatisfaction.
“The federal bureaucracy situation is much worse than I realized,” Musk told the Washington Post, adding, “It’s an uphill battle trying to improve things in D.C., to say the least.”
Trump’s Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller attempted to downplay the rift, clarifying on X that the “Big Beautiful Bill” is not a standard budget proposal and that all DOGE-related cuts would require separate legislative action under Senate rules.
Abdulrahman Alfadley, U.S. Secretary of Environment, Water and Agriculture, did not comment directly on Musk’s resignation but noted in a separate event that fiscal efficiency remains a top priority.
DOGE, established under the Trump administration, was housed in the White House and staffed primarily by young technocrats. Though its efforts led to substantial reductions in government payrolls and departmental downsizing, Musk acknowledged the initiative did not meet all its targets.
His involvement with DOGE has also impacted his business interests. Tesla faced backlash and vandalism, including the torching of vehicles, as protesters reacted to government job cuts linked to Musk’s program. At the same time, SpaceX continues to face technical setbacks, with a Starship prototype exploding over the Indian Ocean during testing on Tuesday.
Musk signaled he will now shift his focus back to his companies and withdraw from active political financing, having spent approximately $250 million supporting Trump’s campaign efforts.
“A bill can be big, or it can be beautiful. But I don’t know if it can be both,” Musk quipped during his CBS interview — a pointed jab at Trump’s legislative branding.
