Elon Musk steps down from role in Trump administration

Billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk is stepping down from his position in the Trump administration after a turbulent stint focused on restructuring the federal government, a White House official confirmed.

According to the official, Musk’s departure is accurate, and his “off-boarding will begin tonight.”

On Wednesday, Musk expressed his gratitude to President Donald Trump as his tenure as a special government employee with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) comes to a close, sharing the announcement on the social media platform X.

Musk’s 130-day mandate as a special government employee was set to expire around May 30. The administration affirmed that DOGE’s efforts to streamline and reduce the size of the federal government will continue.

“The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government,” Musk stated.

During their tenure, Trump and DOGE have succeeded in cutting nearly 12%, or approximately 260,000 employees, from the federal civilian workforce of 2.3 million. This was largely achieved through a combination of firing threats, buyouts, and early retirement incentives, according to a Reuters review of agency departures.

On Tuesday, Musk voiced his disappointment over the Republican tax and budget legislation progressing through Congress.

“I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit rather than decreasing it, undermining the work that the DOGE team is doing,” Musk told CBS News.

Musk’s involvement in politics has sparked protests, and some investors have urged him to step back from his advisory role in the Trump administration and focus more on managing Tesla.

As the world’s richest person, Musk has defended his position as an unelected official who was given unprecedented authority by Trump to overhaul parts of the U.S. government.