Musk Leaves DOGE Role, Criticizes Trump’s Budget Bill

28 May at 10:04 pm

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Musk Leaves DOGE Role, Criticizes Trump’s Budget Bill \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Elon Musk is stepping down as Trump’s top government efficiency adviser after a turbulent tenure leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk struggled to meet ambitious spending cut goals and clashed with key administration figures. He criticized Trump’s major spending bill before announcing his abrupt exit via social media.

Quick Looks

Elon Musk exits government role as head of DOGE.
Departed after conflicts over Trump’s massive spending bill.
Initial $2 trillion cut goal shrank to $150 billion.
Musk posted resignation announcement on his platform, X.
Criticized Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” as deficit-expanding.
DOGE effort triggered layoffs and major agency overhauls.
Political and bureaucratic resistance frustrated Musk’s efforts.
Alice Johnson and Speaker Johnson praised DOGE outcomes.
Musk had donated $250M to Trump’s campaign.
He now plans to focus on Tesla and SpaceX.

Deep Look

Elon Musk Steps Down as Trump Adviser After Clashing Over Spending Bill and Bureaucracy Reform

Elon Musk has officially stepped down from his high-profile role as a top government efficiency adviser to President Donald Trump, bringing a dramatic and controversial chapter of his political engagement to a close. Musk, who spearheaded the Trump administration’s efforts to shrink the federal government through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), announced his departure Wednesday evening with a characteristically blunt post on his platform, X.

“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,” Musk wrote. “The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”

From Ambitious Beginnings to Political Gridlock

Musk’s involvement with DOGE began with sky-high ambitions: $2 trillion in federal spending cuts, mass layoffs, and sweeping eliminations of what he described as “bloated and inefficient government agencies.” However, over time, these goals narrowed significantly. By early 2025, Musk had revised his target down to $150 billion in cuts—a fraction of his original vision.

Internal resistance from agency heads and senior officials, many of whom viewed Musk as an outsider with little regard for institutional norms, frequently disrupted his initiatives. Musk’s attempts to impose tech-sector efficiency standards on the federal government clashed with the realities of D.C. bureaucracy, which proved to be more entrenched and combative than expected.

“The federal bureaucracy situation is much worse than I realized,” Musk admitted in a recent interview with The Washington Post. “I thought there were problems, but it sure is an uphill battle trying to improve things in D.C., to say the least.”

Clashing with Trump’s Budget Agenda

Musk’s departure followed a notable escalation in tension over Trump’s marquee legislation, a sprawling economic bill featuring tax cuts, immigration enforcement enhancements, and increased federal spending. In a CBS interview released just one day before he resigned, Musk blasted the measure as a contradiction of DOGE’s mission.

“I think a bill can be big or it could be beautiful,” Musk quipped. “But I don’t know if it could be both.”

This thinly veiled jab at Trump’s own branding of the legislation—known informally as the “Big Beautiful Bill”—highlighted Musk’s growing frustration with what he perceived as ideological inconsistency. He claimed the bill undermined DOGE’s work, especially after the Congressional Budget Office estimated it would add $3.8 trillion to the national debt over a decade.

Political Fallout and Reactions

Musk’s criticisms did not go unnoticed. While Trump defended the bill, acknowledging it was far from perfect, he emphasized the political compromise required to secure passage.

“I’m not happy about certain aspects of it, but I’m thrilled by other aspects of it,” Trump said from the Oval Office. “We’re going to see what happens. It’s got a way to go.”

Senate Republicans are still debating the bill, with some, including Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, echoing Musk’s fiscal concerns and promising a more “aggressive” Senate version. Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson urged lawmakers not to alter the delicate compromise the House had achieved but thanked Musk for his contributions and pledged to continue implementing DOGE’s findings.

Musk’s criticism has emboldened other fiscal conservatives. Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH) and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) were the only two Republicans to oppose the bill in the House and have since cited Musk’s remarks to strengthen their position.

“Hopefully, the Senate will succeed with the Big Beautiful Bill where the House missed the moment,” Davidson posted on X. “Don’t hope someone else will cut deficits someday, know it has been done this Congress.”

Legacy of the DOGE Department

Though Musk’s tenure at DOGE may be ending, the department’s impact has already begun to ripple through Washington. According to White House sources, a $9.4 billion rescission package is now heading to Congress, including $1.1 billion in cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and over $8 billion in reduced foreign aid.

The DOGE mission, while still politically polarizing, has energized GOP fiscal hawks and remains a rallying cry for those advocating a smaller federal government. Alice Marie Johnson, Trump’s influential clemency adviser and reform advocate, publicly thanked Musk, stating that “his vision gave form to what many thought was impossible.”

What’s Next for Musk?

Elon Musk, who had invested over $250 million into Trump’s re-election effort and previously championed the government role as a necessary civic duty, now says he’ll return to full-time focus on Tesla, SpaceX, and Neuralink.

He’s also signaled a reduction in political involvement, saying: