Photo: President Trump and Musk: the Bromance is over
Tech billionaire Elon Musk has resigned from his temporary role in the U.S. government, following a major policy disagreement with President Donald Trump. Musk, a Special Government Employee tasked with helping reduce federal spending, announced his social media platform X on Wednesday.
“As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President Donald Trump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,” he wrote.
The South African-born entrepreneur, known globally for leading Tesla and SpaceX, expressed concern over Trump’s latest spending bill. Musk argued that the bill would significantly increase the federal budget deficit, directly contradicting the mission of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the agency he worked closely during his tenure.
In an interview with CBS News, Musk stated, “I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing.”
Musk also criticised how DOGE has been treated in public discourse, noting that the department, responsible for laying off tens of thousands of federal workers to streamline government operations, has become a scapegoat for wider frustrations with the administration.
“Unfortunately, DOGE has become a whipping boy for dissatisfaction with the administration, despite the genuine effort to reduce waste and improve efficiency,” Musk said.
Although once a visible and vocal supporter of the Trump administration’s cost-cutting initiatives, Musk has recently pulled back from politics to refocus on his core businesses, including advancements in electric vehicles, space technology, and artificial intelligence.
