Elon Musk
Washington: South African-born tech mogul Elon Musk has resigned as head of the U.S. government’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). This choice was made in the midst of escalating hostilities with former President Donald Trump and following severe losses for his electric car company, Tesla.
Musk said his tenure as a special government employee was finished and he was leaving on Wednesday. “I want to thank President Donald Trump for the opportunity to work on reducing wasteful spending as my designated time as a special government employee comes to an end,” Musk posted on his social media site, X. Elon Musk
“The DOGE mission will only become stronger over time, as it becomes ingrained throughout the government,” he continued.
Elon Musk
However, Musk’s public criticism of the recently passed “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act,” a key component of Trump’s domestic program, widened the gap between him and Trump. “Musk argues that although the bill promises major tax breaks and spending cuts, it ultimately increases the budget deficit and undermines the progress made by the DOGE team
Musk bemoaned what he described as “a massive spending bill that increases the budget deficit rather than reducing it, weakening the work being done by the DOGE team” in an interview with CBS News.
Elon Musk
Timeline of Trump and Elon Musk’s Relationship : Elon Musk
On March 6, 2024, Musk announced that he wouldn’t be backing any candidate in the upcoming U.S. presidential race.
On July 13, 2024, shortly after Trump survived an assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Musk officially threw his support behind him for the presidency—pledging over $250 million to boost Trump’s reelection campaign.- Musk invited then-candidate Trump to a “conversation” about X on August 12, 2024, but it ended up becoming a campaign address. Musk offered to serve on the government efficiency council that he suggested Trump create.
- Musk wrote, “I am ready to serve,” on X on August 19, 2024.
- On September 3, 2024, Trump declared that Musk will head a government efficiency commission if elected.
Wearing a black “Make America Great Again” hat, Musk endorsed Trump and made his stage debut on October 5, 2024. You can see for yourself — I’m beyond just MAGA; I’m full-on Dark MAGA,” Musk proclaimed at the event with a grin.- On October 19, 2024, Musk promised to donate one million dollars every day to voters in battleground states who signed his petition in favour of American gun rights and free speech.
- November 5, 2024: Musk celebrated the Republican triumph on election night at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Florida.
- Trump declared on November 12, 2024, that Musk and Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will serve as the heads of a new advisory group tasked with reducing government expenditures and simplifying bureaucracy.
In a post on X on November 16, 2024, Musk recommended Howard Lutnick as Treasury Secretary, contrasting him favourably with Scott Bessent, another potential Trump candidate. On the very same day Trump tapped Lutnick for Commerce Secretary, he and Musk were spotted together at a SpaceX Starship launch event in Texas.- Musk gave a speech at Trump’s inauguration in Washington, D.C., on January 20, 2025. His one-handed salute caused controversy since some people thought it looked like a Nazi salute.
- Musk and his little son, X, went to the Oval Office on February 11, 2025, to watch Trump sign an executive order calling for “massive reductions” in the federal employment.
- On February 20, 2025, Musk made a striking appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), carrying a shiny chainsaw gifted to him by the President of Argentina.. It served as a prop for him to represent his leadership of DOGE and his efforts to reduce waste in government.
- “On March 4, 2025, during a joint session of Congress, Trump praised Elon Musk’s involvement with Dogecoin, noting, ‘He’s putting in a lot of effort.
- May 1, 2025: Although Trump supporters viewed Musk as a hero, his increasing influence led to criticism, primarily against Tesla. Musk stated in a thorough reply that leaving his position with the government would enable him to concentrate once more on Tesla and his other businesses.
May 27, 2025: Musk expressed his disappointment with the “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act,” claiming that it “increases the budget deficit” and “undermines the work being done by the DOGE team.” I’ve been made the scapegoat for people’s annoyances with the DOGE administration,” he continued. The bill might be big or it might be appealing—but honestly, I doubt it can be both at the same time. In an interview that will appear on Sunday, Musk stated, “That’s just my personal opinion.”
White House Response : Elon Musk
The White House attempted to minimise any differences about federal expenditure without specifically mentioning Musk. Stephen Miller, Trump’s deputy chief of staff, said on X following Musk’s comments: “The Big Beautiful Bill is not an annual budget bill.” Miller pointed out that all expenditure cuts pertaining to DOGE must be carried out through a separate bill that targets the federal bureaucracy directly, under U.S. Senate regulations.