Elon Musk announced on Wednesday night the conclusion of his service as a “special government employee” working with the Trump administration.
In a post on X, Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur, stated, “As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President [Trump] for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending.” He further commented that the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) “mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”
According to an administration official, Musk’s offboarding process with the White House commenced on Wednesday night.
During his tenure, Musk’s DOGE team reportedly implemented widespread changes across the government, including staff reductions at numerous federal agencies and the termination of government contracts valued at billions of dollars. Musk has claimed these efforts have resulted in approximately $160 billion in spending cuts. However, some of the spending reductions cited by DOGE have been disputed as containing errors, and one report suggests that the cuts could potentially cost the government $135 billion due to decreased productivity and the expenses associated with placing staff on leave and subsequent re-hiring. The White House had officially designated Musk as a “special government employee” (SGE) in February. This classification allowed him to work for the executive branch under different ethical guidelines than those governing regular federal employees.
However, SGEs are legally limited to a maximum of 130 days of work within a 365-day period. Friday, May 30, would mark the completion of 130 days since President Trump’s inauguration for his second term, which coincided with the start of Musk’s work at DOGE.
Musk’s departure announcement followed a “CBS Sunday Morning” interview in which he voiced criticism of the budget bill recently passed by House Republicans. This bill has received strong support from President Trump, who has publicly praised it. In the interview, Musk told correspondent David Pogue that he was “disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing.”
During an April earnings call for his electric vehicle company Tesla, Musk informed investors that his involvement with DOGE would “drop significantly” in May to allow him to focus more on his business ventures. He indicated that he anticipated spending one to two days per week on government work, “as long as the president would like me to do so.” Some Tesla investors had previously urged Musk to reduce his engagement with the Trump administration, expressing concerns about potential distractions and risks to the carmaker’s brand.
In a Wednesday interview on Fox Business, White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought stated that the Trump administration intends to make some of DOGE’s cuts permanent through a bill in Congress known as a rescission package. This legislative tool allows Congress to cancel previously allocated funds that the federal government has not yet expended. Vought specified that initial targets for these rescissions would include foreign aid, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
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