Elon Musk steps down from DOGE, citing end of scheduled term

Elon Musk has announced the end of his scheduled term as a Special Government Employee with the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), concluding his formal involvement in the Trump administration’s cost-cutting initiative.

“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 said in a X post on Wednesday. “The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”

Musk’s departure comes one day after he criticized President Trump’s signature legislative proposal, calling it a “massive spending bill” that increases the federal deficit and “undermines the work” of DOGE, according to the Associated Press. The bill, which the president has referred to as his “big beautiful bill,” includes a mix of tax cuts and enhanced immigration enforcement.

Musk had earlier indicated that he would scale back his time in government starting in May. In April, the Tesla CEO said he planned to refocus on his company while maintaining a limited advisory role in federal operations.

Musk was brought into the administration to lead efforts to reduce wasteful spending and downsize the federal bureaucracy. His tenure included high-profile measures such as mass layoffs and performance reporting mandates that drew widespread pushback from federal workers and unions.

“There’s been some blowback for the time I’ve been spending in government,” Musk said in April. “Those who were receiving the wasteful dollars tried to attack me and the DOGE team… The actual reason for the protests is that those receiving the waste and fraud wish to continue receiving it.”

His departure comes amid financial headwinds for Tesla. The company’s first-quarter earnings report showed a 20% year-over-year revenue decline, driven by rising competition from Chinese automakers, an aging vehicle lineup, and reputational issues in key markets.

It is not yet clear whether Musk will retain any informal advisory role. The White House has not publicly commented on the conclusion of his government service.