Musk announces departure from US admin after slamming Trump's 'big beautiful bill'
Musk described it as a “massive spending bill” that increases the federal deficit and “undermines the work” of his Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE
Elon Musk is leaving his government role as a top advisor to US President Donald Trump after spearheading efforts to reduce and overhaul the federal bureaucracy.
The billionaire entrepreneur posted Wednesday about his decision on X, his social media website. “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,” he wrote.
Also read | Trump says Elon Musk will step down soon as head of DOGE
“The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.” A White House official, who requested anonymity to talk about the change, confirmed that Musk was leaving.
Flays Trump’s agenda
Musk's departure comes one day after he criticised the centrepiece of Trump's legislative agenda, saying he was “disappointed” by what the president calls his “big beautiful bill". The legislation includes a mix of tax cuts and enhanced immigration enforcement.
While speaking to CBS, Musk described it as a “massive spending bill” that increases the federal deficit and “undermines the work” of his Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE. “I think a bill can be big or it could be beautiful. But I don't know if it could be both,” Musk said. His CBS interview came out Tuesday night.
Trump defends move
Trump, speaking in the Oval Office on Wednesday, defended his agenda by talking about the delicate politics involved with negotiating the legislation. “I'm not happy about certain aspects of it, but I'm thrilled by other aspects of it,” he said.
Trump also suggested that more changes could be made. “We're going to see what happens. It's got a way to go," he said.
Republicans recently pushed the measure through the House and are debating it in the Senate.
Changes in legislation?
Musk's concerns are shared by some Republican lawmakers. “I sympathise with Elon being discouraged,” said Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson.
Speaking at a Milwaukee Press Club event on Wednesday, Johnson added that he was “pretty confident” there was enough opposition “to slow this process down until the president, our leadership, gets serious” about reducing spending. He said there was no amount of pressure Trump could put on him to change his position.
Also read | Trump administration asks Supreme Court to let DOGE access Social Security systems
Speaker Mike Johnson has asked senators to make as few changes to the legislation as possible, saying that House Republicans reached a “very delicate balance” that could be upended with major changes.
The narrowly-divided House will have to vote again on final passage once the Senate alters the bill.
Johnson thanks Musk
On Wednesday, Johnson thanked Musk for his work and promised to pursue more spending cuts in the future, saying “the House is eager and ready to act on DOGE's findings".
The White House is sending some proposed rescissions, a mechanism used to cancel previously authorised spending, to Capitol Hill to solidify some of DOGE's cuts.
A spokesperson for the Office of Management and Budget said the package will include USD 1.1 billion from the Corporation of Public Broadcasting, which funds NPR and PBS, and USD 8.3 billion in foreign assistance.
Musk's criticism come as he steps back from his government work, rededicating himself to companies like the electric automaker Tesla and rocket manufacturer SpaceX.
To slash political spending
He also said he'll reduce his political spending, because “I think I've done enough".
At times, he seemed chastened by his experience of working in the government. Although he hoped that DOGE would generate USD 1 trillion in spending cuts, he's fallen far short of that target.
“The federal bureaucracy situation is much worse than I realised,” he told The Washington Post.
“I thought there were problems, but it sure is an uphill battle trying to improve things in DC, to say the least.” Musk had previously been energised by the opportunity to reshape Washington. He wore campaign hats in the White House, held his own campaign rallies, and talked about excessive spending as an existential crisis.
Trump-Musk bonhomie
He often tended to be effusive in his praise of Trump. “The more I've gotten to know President Trump, the more I like the guy. Frankly, I love him," Musk said in February.
Also read | As Tesla shares continue to tumble, analysts blame ‘Trump bump’
Trump repaid the favour, describing Musk as “a truly great American". When Tesla faced declining sales, he turned the White House driveway into a makeshift showroom to illustrate his support.
It's unclear what, if any, impact Musk's comments about the bill would have on the legislative debate.
(With agency inputs)