Elon Musk’s highly publicized tenure in Donald Trump’s administration has now concluded. The billionaire CEO of Tesla, whom President Trump famously tasked with spearheading efforts to reduce and restructure the federal bureaucracy, confirmed his departure from the government via his platform ‘X’ on Wednesday night. This announcement follows Musk’s recent criticism of the US president’s approach to fiscal matters.
“As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity,” Musk wrote on ‘X’. “The mission of @DOGE will only strengthen over time, as it evolves into a way of life for the public administration.”
While a senior White House official had previously emphasized Musk’s close relationship with Trump, the White House issued no official comment regarding the president’s advisor’s departure after 130 days in office.
Musk’s Criticism of Trump’s “Massive Spending Bill”
Musk’s official departure occurred amidst escalating tensions in his relationship with President Trump. On Tuesday, the billionaire, speaking on CBS, sharply criticized President Trump’s “massive spending bill,” which includes tax cuts and stricter immigration policies. Musk described it as a “massive spending package” that increases the federal deficit and “undermines” the work of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the agency he led with the aim of reducing federal expenditures by downsizing the federal workforce, cutting government programs, and eliminating grants.
Trump’s Response
President Trump responded to Musk’s criticism on Wednesday afternoon in the Oval Office, defending his spending bill. He stated that it would fulfill several of his key priorities but also noted the complexities of passing such a comprehensive bill through a deeply divided Congress. While avoiding mentioning Musk by name, President Trump said:
“My reaction has to do with many things. First of all, we have to secure a lot of votes. We can’t make cuts—you know—we have to get a lot of support, and we have a lot of support. We had to get it through the House,” President Trump said.
From “Love” to… Divorce
Musk was a prominent figure in President Trump’s inner circle during the initial days of his second term, securing the Republican president’s favor after significantly boosting his 2024 re-election campaign with over $250 million in contributions. He frequently appeared alongside President Trump, often sporting a hat bearing President Trump’s name and sometimes with one of his young children. Musk appeared to relish his role, even taking the stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in February with a chainsaw to promote his cost-cutting initiative.
That same month, Musk stated, “The more I get to know President Trump, the more I like him. Honestly, I love him.” He had previously referred to President Trump as “a truly brilliant American.” Musk also threatened at one point to use his wealth to fund Republican politicians running for elected office who dared to oppose President Trump’s agenda.
However, behind the scenes, tensions were reportedly escalating between Musk and other members of President Trump’s administration, with incidents of strained discussions surfacing in news reports.
Clashes with Cabinet Members
Musk reportedly clashed with three prominent members of President Trump’s cabinet: Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, and Treasury Secretary Scott Besant. He publicly labeled President Trump’s trade advisor, Peter Navarro, an “idiot” and “dumber than a bag of hammers.” Musk also voiced several of his grievances publicly, including criticisms of President Trump’s tariffs.
Meanwhile, both Musk’s and Tesla’s public images have suffered, with polls indicating their unpopularity and Tesla vehicles and dealerships becoming targets of protests and vandalism. Tesla’s stock has also declined by 11% so far this year.
Musk’s Hasty Trip to the Middle East
The latest episode in the relationship between the two former allies reportedly occurred when, according to the Wall Street Journal, Musk hastily traveled to the Middle East during President Trump’s tour there to block a significant US cooperation agreement with the United Arab Emirates in the field of artificial intelligence, which the Republican president supported if it didn’t include him.
This explains the tech billionaire’s unexpected appearance at a meeting between President Trump and Saudi Arabian officials. President Trump was reportedly close to announcing a major foreign AI partnership with US-based OpenAI—led by Musk’s sworn rival, Sam Altman—and the UAE company G42 to build a Stargate UAE campus in Abu Dhabi.
Musk was determined that his company, xAI, would be part of the deal, sources told the American newspaper. In a call with officials at G42, which is controlled by the brother of the UAE’s president, Musk reportedly warned that the plan would not gain President Trump’s approval if xAI was not included.
Musk was also reportedly unhappy with a deal that benefited Altman, with whom he had co-founded OpenAI in 2015, only to leave it three years later after a power struggle. President Trump’s team reportedly rushed to appease the concerned Musk so that the president could announce the deal while he was in the Middle East, the WSJ reported.
Musk traveled with President Trump to the Middle East, but the latter rarely mentioned his name publicly. Not only that, but Musk was once seen in Abu Dhabi waiting in line to shake hands with the US Republican president.
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