Elon Musk officially leaves his role at the ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ after a tumultuous five months.
Elon Musk officially leaves the DOGE and Trump Administration
Elon Musk’s reign at the helm of the ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ ends as it began: in controversy. After just five months in office, the billionaire officially steps down from his role as a ‘Special Government Employee’, ending a period marked by bold promises, disputed results, and a hint of unease in political circles.
At his arrival, Musk promised a historic budget purge: up to $2 trillion in cuts to federal spending, nearly a third of the total US budget. By May, the official balance stands at $175 billion, a figure already questioned by the Financial Times, unable to verify many of the savings claimed by Doge, the entity created for this mission.
Despite these contested results, Musk argues that ‘the DOGE mission is just beginning’, suggesting that he hopes to see his initiative become a culture embedded in the American administration. But on the White House side, the disengagement process is underway: the ‘offboarding’ is in progress.
The political disavowal of a cumbersome ally
Close to President Trump, Elon Musk had announced his intention to stay in his position until the summer of 2025. Administrative adjustments were supposed to allow him to circumvent the legal limit of 130 days imposed on his special status. Ultimately, it is on X that he officially announces his departure, thanking Trump ‘for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending’.
In recent weeks, Musk had intensified his criticism of Congress, targeting the new Republican tax bill. According to him, this top priority project of the Trump administration is ‘anything but beautiful’, and risks adding over $3.3 trillion to the US deficit by 2035, according to non-partisan projections.
Return to business, withdrawal from campaigns
Already weakened by a sharp decline in Tesla sales, Musk announces his intention to refocus ’24/7′ on his companies. This turnaround also includes a political disengagement: after donating over $250 million to support Trump in 2024, a record, the SpaceX and Tesla chief promises to significantly reduce his future donations. ‘I’ve given enough,’ he asserts.
