Elon Musk is officially out of politics. He shared that he’s stepping away after feeling let down by the Trump team.
He had been working under this special setup in the government where he was allowed to clock in for up to 130 days a year. His time was supposed to end on May 28.
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But instead of waiting it out, he left a few days early. And his exit came right after he slammed Trump’s so-called “big, beautiful bill.”
Musk publicly criticizes Trump’s spending bill
In a clip that aired on May 27, Musk didn’t hold back. He told CBS, “I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill frankly, which increases the budget deficit not just decrease it, and undermines the work that the Doge team is doing.
“I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful… but I don’t know if it could be both, my personal opinion.”
His resignation came shortly after the criticism
Not long after that interview, the BBC reported that the White House had started the process of removing Musk.
He also posted about it on his own platform, X, adding a few parting thoughts as he wrapped things up.
Musk thanks Trump but hints at concerns
On X, he wrote, “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.
“The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”
Trump responds with a cryptic meme
Trump hasn’t said much about Musk leaving. But he did post something on Truth Social that got people talking.
He shared a meme of himself walking alone down a dark street. The caption said, “He’s on a mission from God & nothing can stop what is coming.”
Musk worked alongside Vivek Ramaswamy
Musk wasn’t doing this work alone. He was leading the new government group with Vivek Ramaswamy, the former GOP presidential hopeful and businessman.
Even though neither of them were elected, they were put in charge of running the whole thing.
Their goal was to overhaul the government
Their main mission? Cut jobs, slash the payroll, and clean up all the extra layers of government.
Musk had said once the job was done, the entire department would shut down. The plan was to finish everything by July 4, 2026 — next Independence Day.
Trump described it all as a push to “dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies.”
DOGE team made big changes
They’d already made some serious, but controversial, moves. Tons of layoffs happened all across the country.
They also removed programs tied to diversity, equality, and inclusion. Even the Department of Education saw major cuts.
What the controversial bill actually includes
The new bill Musk criticized isn’t small. It boosts defense spending and includes Trump’s idea of a “Golden Dome” to shield the US from missiles.
It also comes with giant tax breaks worth trillions. It barely passed the House and is now headed to the Senate.
The bill could raise spending by about $600 billion next year. Musk said that kind of move totally undercuts what he was trying to do with the government efficiency project.
