Elon Musk leaves Trump administration after slamming ‘big beautiful bill’

Elon Musk announces he's leaving Trump administration

Elon Musk announced on X Wednesday that he's stepping down from his role within the Trump administration.

WASHINGTON - Elon Musk is officially stepping away from his advisory role in President Donald Trump’s administration, posting Wednesday that his time as a Special Government Employee has ended. 

The billionaire entrepreneur was tasked with leading the Department of Government Efficiency — or DOGE — a Trump-created initiative aimed at reducing federal waste.

"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 posted on X, the platform he owns. "The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government."

A White House official, speaking anonymously, confirmed Musk’s departure to the Associated Press. 

What they're saying:

The announcement came just one day after Musk criticized Trump’s legislative centerpiece — a sweeping bill combining tax cuts with immigration enforcement — calling it "a massive spending bill" that "undermines the work" of DOGE. Speaking to CBS, Musk added, "I think a bill can be big or it could be beautiful. But I don’t know if it could be both."

Trump responded to criticism on Wednesday, telling reporters, "I’m not happy about certain aspects of it, but I’m thrilled by other aspects of it. We’re going to see what happens. It’s got a way to go."

Musk’s frustrations echo wider GOP concerns

The other side:

Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin expressed support for Musk’s stance, saying he’s "pretty confident" there’s enough internal opposition to slow the bill in the Senate. Speaker Mike Johnson, meanwhile, thanked Musk for his work and promised the House would continue acting on DOGE’s recommendations.

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 24: White House Senior Advisor, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk attends a cabinet meeting held by U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on March 24, 2025 in Washington, DC. This is Trump's third cabinet meeting of his s

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The White House said it plans to send Congress a package of spending rescissions to solidify some of DOGE’s proposed cuts, including $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and $8.3 billion in foreign aid.

Musk returns to private sector, disillusioned by DC

Though Musk once described working in Washington as energizing, he now says the reality of federal bureaucracy was more difficult than expected. "The federal bureaucracy situation is much worse than I realized," he told The Washington Post. "It’s an uphill battle trying to improve things in D.C., to say the least."

He plans to focus on his companies — including Tesla and SpaceX — and scale back political spending, saying, "I think I’ve done enough."

What's next:

Musk’s departure and public criticism may embolden fiscal conservatives already wary of the legislation. Some, including Utah Sen. Mike Lee, signaled they plan to push for more aggressive cost-cutting in the Senate version. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill would add $3.8 trillion to the deficit over the next decade — a figure that watchdog groups dispute.

Though once a vocal Trump supporter, Musk’s rift over spending underscores deeper divisions among Republican leadership, particularly over how to balance tax cuts with federal austerity.