Elon Musk Exits Trump White House Role Amid Disappointment Over GOP Spending Bill
Elon Musk, the billionaire Tesla CEO who briefly served as Trump’s self-appointed waste czar, has officially stepped away from his role as a special government employee. His departure, confirmed by the White House Wednesday evening, came just a day after he publicly criticized a massive Republican spending bill that funds much of Trump’s second-term agenda.
Musk, once a high-profile Trump ally, had taken the stage at CPAC wielding a chainsaw to champion his “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) and had promised to slash federal bloat. But after just over 114 days on the job—and with mounting tensions behind the scenes—his tenure ended far from the $2 trillion in savings he initially claimed DOGE would generate.
From Campaign Kingmaker to Capitol Critic
Musk wasn’t just another Trump appointee—he helped fuel Trump’s 2024 comeback with more than $250 million in campaign donations, according to finance reports. He frequently appeared in public with Trump, often wearing a MAGA hat, and even brought one of his children along for political events. In the early months of Trump’s second term, Musk was one of the administration’s most visible figures.
But that visibility came at a cost. Public perception of Musk and Tesla soured. DOGE’s initiatives became a lightning rod for protest, and Tesla dealerships were hit with vandalism. Tesla’s stock is down 11% this year, and polls show Musk’s popularity—alongside his crypto pet project, DOGE—has taken a dive.
A Rift Grows Between Musk and the GOP
Tensions within the Trump camp escalated in recent weeks, with news reports highlighting infighting and volatile meetings. Musk openly criticized the Republican-backed spending package, calling it “disappointing” and claiming it “undermines” DOGE’s mission to shrink government. The bill—loaded with extensions of Trump’s 2017 tax cuts and billions in new spending—would reportedly add $2.3 trillion to the national deficit over a decade, per the CBO.
Despite Musk’s original goal of cutting $2 trillion in waste, DOGE’s own website now lists only $175 billion in “savings”—a figure many analysts consider questionable.
Musk Bows Out, But DOGE Lives On—For Now
“As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,” Musk posted Wednesday on X. He added that he hopes DOGE becomes “a way of life throughout the government.”
While Musk says DOGE will continue, it’s unclear who—if anyone—will take over his leadership role. “We want to make sure that Congress passes its first rescissions bill, including the DOGE [cuts], and we will send more if they pass it,” said Russ Vought, Director of the Office of Management and Budget.
Trump Responds: “We Have to Get a Lot of Votes”
Trump, for his part, defended the spending bill and dismissed the criticism. “We can’t be cutting a—you know—we need to get a lot of support,” he said from the Oval Office. “We had to get it through the House.”
Although the Trump-Musk alliance once symbolized the merger of Silicon Valley flash and MAGA power, it now appears to be fraying under the weight of political reality—and a $2.3 trillion price tag.
