Elon Musk, the prominent tech entrepreneur, has concluded his formal tenure as a “special government employee” within the Trump administration, where he led a controversial initiative aimed at significantly shrinking the size and cost of the US federal government. This effort, informally dubbed the “Department of Government Efficiency” or DOGE, saw Musk working in a temporary capacity limited to 130 days per year, a limit he was reportedly nearing.
The White House confirmed the “offboarding” process for Musk began on Wednesday night. While his exit was anticipated given the temporary nature of the role, it occurred just one day after Musk publicly criticized a major legislative package championed by President Trump – a budget bill proposing multi-trillion dollar tax breaks and increased defense spending.
The DOGE Mission and Its Tumultuous Path
Musk’s role as head of DOGE involved spearheading a drive to identify and eliminate wasteful spending and reduce the federal workforce. He initially set an ambitious target of cutting trillions from the federal budget, a goal later significantly scaled back, first to $150 billion. The administration has credited the DOGE team with efforts leading to considerable spending reductions and the termination of contracts.
The implementation of these cuts was rapid and often faced pushback. An estimated 260,000 federal civilian jobs out of a workforce of 2.3 million were cut or involved redundancy deals as a result of the DOGE initiative. However, this approach wasn’t without its problems. Federal judges in some instances blocked mass firings, ordering the reinstatement of terminated employees, and reports surfaced of staff, including those in the US nuclear program, being mistakenly let go.
Musk himself acknowledged the difficulty, stating that the DOGE effort had become a “whipping boy” blamed for unrelated issues.
Clashes, Criticism, and Legal Challenges
The timing of Musk’s departure highlights underlying tensions. His public criticism of the “big, beautiful bill” for potentially adding trillions to the national debt, arguing it “undermines the work” of DOGE, underscored a policy disagreement with the administration. Musk famously remarked that a bill could be “big or beautiful,” but perhaps not both. Reports also indicate private clashes between Musk and some cabinet officials during his tenure.
Adding another layer of complexity, a lawsuit filed by several Democratic state attorneys general challenging the authority granted to Musk and DOGE was recently allowed to proceed by a U.S. District Court judge. The suit alleges President Trump violated the Constitution’s Appointments Clause by granting Musk, an unconfirmed SGE, powers comparable to Senate-confirmed cabinet officials, including decision-making over spending, contracts, and agencies, as well as access to sensitive data. The judge’s ruling noted a discrepancy between the administration’s efforts in court to downplay Musk’s role and public statements from Musk and Trump touting his leadership of the efficiency drive.
Impact on Business and Public Perception
Musk’s high-profile role in Washington coincided with a challenging period for his electric car company, Tesla. The company experienced its largest historical drop in deliveries, sales fell, and its stock price saw a significant decline, although it has since partially rebounded. Tesla warned investors that “changing political sentiment” could negatively impact vehicle demand.
This “changing political sentiment” appears linked to the backlash Musk received during his government involvement. Activists organized boycotts, protested outside dealerships, and engaged in vandalism of Tesla vehicles and charging stations, with the US Attorney General even warning that such acts could be treated as “domestic terrorism.” Public polls reportedly showed a decline in popularity for both Musk and the DOGE initiative itself. Musk also experienced political influence setbacks, despite contributing heavily to Trump’s campaign and other Republicans (reportedly over $250 million).
Musk has stated he intends to dedicate significantly more time to Tesla and has signaled a potential scaling back of his substantial political spending going forward, stating he currently sees no reason to spend in the future.
Beyond the Formal Role: Continued Influence?
While Musk’s formal SGE status concludes (reportedly hitting the 130-day limit around May 30th, calculated from Trump’s second inauguration), the White House has framed his departure not as a “separation” but a “return to the private sector.” Administration officials emphasize he remains a friend of the president and will continue to act as an informal adviser. Other key members of the DOGE team are also departing.
Musk stated on X that the “DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.” Looking ahead, the administration plans to shift responsibility for implementing the DOGE agenda to cabinet secretaries and President Trump himself. The Office of Management and Budget Director intends to pursue a legislative mechanism, a rescission package, to make some of DOGE’s proposed cuts permanent, initially targeting areas like foreign aid, USAID, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
However, questions remain about the effectiveness of the DOGE mission without Musk’s direct involvement and the accuracy of the savings claims made under his leadership. While Musk claimed approximately $160 billion in savings, some analyses suggest related costs could potentially negate these savings, perhaps even resulting in a net cost to the government.
Elon Musk’s time leading the government efficiency drive was marked by ambitious goals, significant cuts, public clashes, legal challenges, and concurrent struggles at his primary company. While his formal role ends, the future of the “DOGE mission” and his influence as an informal adviser remain subjects of keen observation.
References
- https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz9y4exj822o
- https://www.cbsnews.com/news/elon-musk-signals-his-time-leading-doge-is-coming-to-an-end/
- https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/elon-musk-leaves-trump-white-house-rcna209636
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cz9y4exj822o
- https://www.npr.org/2025/05/28/nx-s1-5414191/musk-lawsuit-doge-trump-spending-bill
