Elon Musk has officially stepped down from his role as a special advisor in President Donald Trump’s administration, concluding a tumultuous tenure marked by ambitious cost-cutting efforts and growing disagreements over fiscal policy.
Musk led the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an initiative aimed at reducing federal spending and streamlining government operations. Initially, DOGE claimed to have saved taxpayers an estimated $175 billion, though critics questioned the accuracy of these figures .
The immediate enabler for Musk’s resignation is his opposition to President Trump’s recently proposed tax-and-spending package, colloquially dubbed the “Big, Beautiful Bill.” Musk criticized the bill for significantly increasing the national deficit, stating that it undermines DOGE’s mission to reduce government waste .
In his resignation announcement on his social media platform, X, Musk expressed gratitude to President Trump for the opportunity to serve but emphasized his intention to refocus on his private enterprises, including Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI .
