Kathmandu: Elon Musk has stepped down from his role in the Trump administration following a controversial stint leading a high-profile campaign to reduce the size of the U.S. federal government, the BBC reports.
In a post on his social media platform X, Musk confirmed that his time as a “Special Government Employee” had ended, thanking former President Donald Trump for the opportunity to head the Department of Government Efficiency, popularly known as DOGE.
“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.”
BBC sources say the White House began the formal process of “offboarding” Musk on Wednesday night. Although his role was always meant to be temporary — limited to 130 days per year — the timing of his departure comes just one day after he publicly criticized Trump’s budget proposal.
Musk had voiced disappointment with the administration’s multi-trillion dollar tax and defense spending bill, saying it would significantly increase the federal deficit and “undermine the work” of DOGE.
“I think a bill can be big or it could be beautiful,” Musk told CBS, a BBC US partner. “But I don’t know if it could be both.”
Initially promising to cut $2 trillion in federal spending, Musk eventually scaled that target down to $150 billion. Under his leadership, the DOGE initiative saw over 260,000 federal jobs eliminated or vacated through redundancy offers. However, the aggressive downsizing faced legal pushback, with some federal judges ordering reinstatement of dismissed staff — including employees of the U.S. nuclear program.
Musk’s resignation also follows a rocky period for his business empire. Tesla reported a 13% decline in deliveries — the sharpest drop in its history — and a 45% slump in stock value, although shares have since partially recovered. He has told investors that his focus would return primarily to Tesla, acknowledging that DOGE had become a “whipping boy” for critics of the Trump administration.
Activists protesting Musk’s political involvement staged boycotts and vandalism against Tesla vehicles and infrastructure. The backlash led U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to warn that such acts would be prosecuted as domestic terrorism.
Despite the turbulence, Musk reaffirmed at a recent economic forum in Doha that he remains committed to leading Tesla for at least the next five years. He also announced plans to scale back his political donations after contributing nearly $300 million to support Trump and other Republican candidates in the previous year.