Elon Musk exits Trump administration over 'big, beautiful' bill dispute

Billionaire and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has announced his departure from Donald Trump’s administration after completing a turbulent efficiency drive, during which he served as a special government employee.

The initiative aimed to cut thousands of federal jobs and reduce the size of the US government.

Musk thanked US President Donald Trump for the opportunity to contribute to the Department of Government Efficiency—also known as DOGE—via social media platform X.

“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 on X. He added that the DOGE mission “will continue and eventually become a way of life with this government.”

His offboarding process from the White House began on Wednesday night.

Although Musk’s role was always intended to be temporary, his departure came shortly after he criticised a key part of Trump’s legislative agenda.

Musk expressed disappointment with the president’s budget bill, which includes multi-trillion-dollar tax cuts and a major increase in defence spending. He stated that “a bill can be either big or beautiful, but it cannot be both,” referring to Trump’s description of it as a “big, beautiful bill.” He warned that the bill could seriously undermine the DOGE mission.

He also called the president’s flagship tax legislation too expensive.

Tensions had also emerged between Musk and several Trump cabinet officials. Musk initially pledged to cut “at least $2 trillion” from the federal government budget, but later revised the target to $150 billion. He openly criticised White House trade adviser Peter Navarro, calling him a “moron” for rejecting his proposal for “zero tariffs” between the US and Europe.

As a result of the DOGE programme, around 260,000 out of the 2.3 million-strong federal civilian workforce have either been made redundant or accepted voluntary severance.

Musk’s exit was as low-key as his appointment, with no formal discussion with the president. However, he had been permitted to serve as a special federal employee for up to 130 days a year, and Trump had previously announced that Musk’s tenure would end in May.

The Tesla and SpaceX owner has now pledged to refocus on his business interests, which have struggled during his political stint.

Tesla experienced a 13 per cent drop in sales, and a 45 per cent fall in stock prices—later recovering to a 10 per cent dip. Investors are facing a difficult period, while activists have launched aggressive campaigns to boycott the company.

Musk has spent roughly $300 million supporting Trump’s presidential campaign and other Republican causes. However, he now says he plans to reduce his political spending, stating: “I think I have done enough.” Despite promising Trump’s advisers a $100 million contribution this year, the funds have yet to be delivered.