Elon Musk has stepped down as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), citing the difficulty of reducing federal spending and bureaucracy.
Elon Musk has stepped down from his role leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), citing the difficulty of reducing federal spending and bureaucracy. Appointed as a Special Government Employee, Musk’s 130-day term was set to end May 30. He confirmed his departure on May 29 in a post on X, thanking President Donald Trump “for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending.” The White House later confirmed that off-boarding had begun.
In an interview with The Washington Post, Musk described the federal system as more dysfunctional than he expected. He also criticized a massive tax relief bill passed by House Republicans, claiming it worsened the deficit and undermined DOGE’s work.
DOGE claims it saved $175 billion since Trump returned to office in January — far short of Musk’s original $2 trillion goal, later reduced to $150 billion. Media outlets have challenged the accuracy of the reported savings. DOGE reportedly cut 260,000 federal jobs, about 12% of the workforce, through layoffs and buyouts.
Despite stepping down, Musk said on X that DOGE’s mission will continue and could influence broader government practices.
His exit comes as 14 states pursue a lawsuit accusing him and DOGE of overstepping their authority — including claims of unauthorized firings, canceled contracts, and improper access to federal data.
In a May 28 interview with Ars Technica, Musk admitted he may have focused too much on politics, potentially to the detriment of Tesla. Still, he downplayed his actual time spent on DOGE and blamed media exaggeration. When Musk previously said he’d reduce his involvement, Tesla stock rose over 5% — despite an 80% decline in quarterly net income.
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