Elon Musk has left the Trump administration

Elon Musk, one of the richest, most powerful, and most hated men in the world, has officially ended his role within the Trump administration. On May 21, Musk announced his departure with a short post on X: «With the end of my scheduled term as a Special Government Employee, I thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending. The @DOGE mission will grow stronger over time, becoming a lifestyle within the government». White House sources confirmed that the exit procedures had started that same evening. Unlike previous practices, Musk did not meet with Trump before the announcement. According to internal sources, the decision was made at the senior staff level and carried out without ceremony. Although Musk presented his departure as the natural end of his term, the timing, tone, and circumstances clearly indicate that it was an accelerated break due to internal fractures and growing political uselessness. After Musk’s exit, the future of DOGE remains uncertain. The administration has stated that the initiative will continue, but critics argue that its methods were too extreme, its goals unrealistic, and its leadership too unstable to generate lasting reform – many of these cuts, in fact, were announced but not properly ratified.

Musk had been appointed as a "Special Government Employee," an advisory role that allowed him to work for the federal government up to 130 days per year. During this period, he led the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), named after the cryptocurrency Musk himself promotes and accumulates — an experimental initiative aimed at drastically reducing the size and function of the U.S. federal bureaucracy through massive public spending cuts. His departure, although expected, comes amidst political discord, organizational turmoil, and public controversies. Musk was appointed to a federal role shortly after Trump’s second inauguration, with the president describing him as «a man who knows how to run a lean operation». DOGE represented a cornerstone of the renewed anti-bureaucracy campaign of the administration. The department was conceived as a response to what the White House saw as uncontrolled, inefficient, and expensive government growth. Musk’s background as a tech innovator and cost-cutter made him an ideal candidate to lead such a mission. Although never formally approved by Congress, DOGE operated on the basis of an executive order and enjoyed significant de facto power thanks to Trump’s public endorsement and Musk’s direct access to the White House. His mission was ambitious: streamline federal operations, merge redundant agencies, and slash administrative budgets across the government.

At the beginning of his tenure, Musk set an enormous goal: to cut at least $2 trillion from federal spending over five years. Almost immediately, this goal was scaled down. By mid-2024, the figure was revised to $1 trillion, then $500 billion, and finally $150 billion. Despite this drastic reduction, under Musk's leadership, DOGE still implemented one of the most aggressive workforce reduction programs in U.S. history. Around 260,000 federal employees out of a total civil workforce of 2.3 million were fired, forced into early retirement, or incentivized to leave. The most affected departments included housing, environment, education, and even energy — where some cuts mistakenly involved nuclear safety staff and doctors working on Ebola prevention. In several cases, federal judges blocked mass layoffs, ordering the reinstatement of staff unlawfully dismissed, creating growing tensions and public concern after many citizens, including veterans, were suddenly left without jobs. Some received unsettling emails asking them to list their achievements from the previous week or short, blunt messages notifying immediate termination. Musk’s presence at government meetings, press conferences in the Oval Office where he spoke about the president, and his constant social media pressure in support of far-right governments worldwide have made him disliked across the globe.

Musk’s exit was preceded by a gradual ideological divergence from the Trump administration, particularly regarding fiscal policy. In a noted CBS interview, Musk harshly criticized Trump’s main economic bill, nicknamed "One Big Beautiful Bill." Although it was a cornerstone of the president’s agenda — featuring massive tax cuts and increased defense spending — Musk called it «deeply irresponsible» and claimed it would «blow up the deficit» and compromise DOGE’s work. «It’s disappointing to see such a massive bill», he said. «It increases the deficit instead of reducing it and undermines the DOGE team’s efforts». Behind the scenes, Musk’s term was marked by interpersonal clashes with high-ranking administration members. He had conflicts with various cabinet members, including trade advisor Peter Navarro, whom Musk publicly called an «idiot» for rejecting his proposal to eliminate tariffs between the U.S. and Europe. These episodes worsened Musk’s relationship with the presidential apparatus. Additionally, Musk expressed frustration over a tech deal between Abu Dhabi and OpenAI, led by his rival Sam Altman. According to WSJ, Musk tried to block the deal unless his company was included, further escalating internal tensions.

While leading DOGE, Musk also faced growing dissatisfaction from Tesla shareholders. The carmaker reported a 13% drop in deliveries for Q1 2025 — the worst in its history. The stock plummeted by up to 45%, then partially recovered, but remained 10% below previous levels. The political controversies sparked public protests: activists called for a Tesla boycott, organized rallies at dealerships, and vandalized charging stations. Some CyberTrucks were set on fire, and some dealerships were “defended” by far-right American activists, reinforcing Musk’s association with Trump’s voter base. Meanwhile, governments worldwide cut StarLink contracts, sinking that business too. The U.S. government initially defended the entrepreneur, threatening penalties similar to those for “domestic terrorism.” At one point, Trump held a press conference in front of the White House to promote Tesla cars – which only made things worse. Given all this, after a global cyberbullying campaign made Musk an internet laughingstock, he announced during an economic forum in Qatar that he would remain CEO of Tesla for at least five more years. He also stated that he would significantly reduce his political donations after spending around $300 million to support Trump and the GOP in 2024.