Billionaire and Tesla chief Elon Musk has stepped down from his function as head of the Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE), during which he was charged with lowering federal spending, as he nears the utmost restrict for his tenure as a particular authorities adviser.
His departure comes simply after his first main public disagreement with President Donald Trump over the administration’s much-touted tax-and-spending price range invoice, which was handed by the Republican-controlled US Home of Representatives on Could 22 by a single vote.
In a publish on X on Wednesday, Musk stated his time with the administration had “come to an finish”.
“I want to thank President Donald Trump for the chance to scale back wasteful spending,” the SpaceX founder wrote.
As my scheduled time as a Particular Authorities Worker involves an finish, I want to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the chance to scale back wasteful spending.
The @DOGE mission will solely strengthen over time because it turns into a lifestyle all through the federal government.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) Could 29, 2025
Musk, who was appointed by Trump to steer DOGE, has seen his tenure within the White Home marred by controversy, particularly sparked by his try to dismantle the US Company for Worldwide Growth (USAID), an company devoted to distributing international support.
With Musk’s departure, what’s going to turn out to be of DOGE? And what legacy does the Tesla CEO depart behind?
How lengthy was Musk at DOGE?
Musk’s time period as a “particular authorities worker” within the Trump administration meant he was solely entitled to serve for 130 days in any 365-day interval, and is barred from utilizing authorities roles for any financial achieve.
Musk’s time period has lasted simply over 4 months, a number of days in need of the utmost authorized restrict.
In late April, Musk stated he would quickly shift his focus again to his personal enterprise enterprises and that his “time allocation” at DOGE would “drop considerably” beginning in Could.
Nonetheless, Musk did word that he would spend “a day or two per week on authorities issues for so long as the President would really like me to take action, so long as it’s helpful”.
Why does Musk disagree with Trump’s tax-and-spending invoice?
In a clip from an interview with information channel CBS’s Sunday Morning programme, launched on Tuesday, Musk revealed he was “disillusioned to see the huge spending invoice”.
Based on him, the wide-ranging price range invoice, also called the “One Massive Lovely Invoice”, will increase the price range deficit and undermines his work at DOGE.
“I believe a invoice may be huge or it may be lovely. However I don’t know if it may be each. My private opinion,” Musk informed journalist David Pogue.
On Wednesday, Trump staunchly defended the invoice. “We might be negotiating that invoice, and I’m not blissful about sure features of it, however I’m thrilled by different features of it,” Trump informed reporters on the White Home. “That’s the best way they go.”
The price range invoice spans greater than a thousand pages and descriptions numerous home coverage targets favoured by the Trump administration.
Amongst its provisions are measures that prolong tax cuts launched throughout Trump’s first presidential time period in 2017. The invoice additionally boosts funding for Trump’s proposed “mass deportation” initiative and for safety alongside the US-Mexico border.
The disagreement over the tax-and-spending invoice was certainly one of a number of challenges Musk has encountered throughout his time on the White Home.
What else has Musk disagreed with the Trump administration about?
Musk ran afoul of a number of Trump officers throughout his stint on the White Home, together with the president’s chief commerce adviser, Peter Navarro, whom he known as a “moron” over Trump’s sweeping improve in commerce tariffs throughout the globe. Musk has additionally acknowledged publicly that he could be extra in favour of “predictable tariff constructions”, along with “free commerce and decrease tariffs”.
In April, the SpaceX founder expressed hopes for “a zero-tariff state of affairs” between the US and Europe. As a substitute, Trump has threatened to impose a 50 % tariff on imported items from the European Union except the 2 sides can conform to a commerce deal.
What is going to occur to DOGE now?
Trump established DOGE by government order the day he was sworn into workplace on January 20. With Musk’s departure, it’s unclear what destiny awaits the company, as Trump has but to nominate anybody to interchange him.
Musk was given a mandate to scale back federal funding, which included downsizing the federal government’s workforce, terminating authorities contracts and making an attempt to shut down complete companies. In February, he and Trump each claimed they’d unearthed billions of {dollars} price of fraud associated to range and local weather schemes inside the authorities. This was proved to be largely unfaithful or deceptive.
In his publish on Wednesday, Musk stated: “The DOGE mission will solely strengthen over time because it turns into a lifestyle all through the federal government.”
Nonetheless, Colleen Graffy, a former US diplomat and professor of regulation at Pepperdine College in California, stated DOGE’s future was on shaky floor. “The facility of DOGE got here from the world’s richest man, Musk, having the ear of the world’s strongest individual, Trump,” she informed Al Jazeera. “DOGE will possible battle alongside for some time, however with out Musk, and with pending courtroom instances in opposition to it, its days are numbered. It might be a poisoned chalice appointment for anybody to take. Trump’s tax cuts will dwarf any financial savings.”
What is going to Musk’s DOGE legacy be?
Musk’s function within the Trump administration has sparked a considerable amount of controversy.
He has overseen main reductions within the variety of federal staff and the dismantling of a number of government-funded programmes – strikes which have drawn widespread criticism.
“Elon Musk’s DOGE was like certainly one of his rockets exploding quickly after liftoff, thereby demonstrating how to not do issues,” Graffy informed Al Jazeera.
“The distinction is that for one, the training expertise is paid in cash; for the opposite, the worth is paid in human lives,” she added.
A significant level of criticism directed at Trump and Musk centred on their determination to severely cut back USAID’s operations.
By late February, the primary workplaces of the company in Washington, DC, had been basically shut down.
Following the dismissal of roughly 1,600 staff and the position of roughly 4,700 extra on depart, employees got simply quarter-hour to assemble their belongings and exit the constructing.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio later revealed that 83 % of all contracts managed by USAID had been closed.
In March, a federal decide in Maryland acknowledged that DOGE had “possible violated” the US Structure by making an attempt to dismantle the company. The decide authorised a short lived injunction to cease DOGE from continuing with USAID-related employees reductions, constructing closures, contract terminations, or the destruction of USAID supplies.
Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen, a shopper rights advocacy group, described DOGE as a “mantra of destruction”.
“The legacy of Elon Musk is misplaced livelihoods for important authorities staff, hindered American schooling, lack of funding for scientists and the violation of People’ private privateness, all within the service of corrupt tech-bro billionaire particular pursuits,” she informed Al Jazeera.
“The carnage is much more horrifying internationally, as Musk’s chainsaw will result in the pointless and pointless deaths of possible tens of millions of individuals within the growing world.”
Max Yoeli, senior analysis fellow within the US and the Americas Programme at Chatham Home, stated Musk’s temporary tenure has “irrevocably altered US authorities”.
“DOGE’s weakening of state capability and disruption of America’s analysis and improvement ecosystem pose lasting dangers to US financial prospects and resilience, whilst courts nonetheless grapple with authorized points his method raised,” Yoeli informed Al Jazeera.