Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla and SpaceX, announced on Wednesday night (local time) that he is stepping down from his role as a top adviser to US President Donald Trump. He served as a special government employee, leading efforts to cut unnecessary spending and streamline the federal government. Musk also headed the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a project focused on reducing waste across government departments.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Musk 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.”

A White House official, speaking anonymously, confirmed Musk’s departure.

Criticism of Trump’s bill sparked attention

Just before his exit, Musk made headlines for publicly criticising Trump’s major legislative proposal—a combination tax and immigration bill, which Trump himself called the “big beautiful bill”.

Speaking to CBS on Tuesday night, Musk called the bill a “massive spending bill” and questioned its goals. He said,

“I think a bill can be big or it could be beautiful, but I don’t know if it could be both.”

His comments were noticed by several fiscal conservatives. Senator Ron Johnson from Wisconsin supported Musk’s concerns and said at a Milwaukee Press Club event,

“I sympathise with Elon being discouraged.”
He added that he was “pretty confident” that there is enough Republican opposition to slow down the bill until the administration “gets serious” about reducing spending.

Trump and GOP leaders respond to criticism

President Trump defended the bill during a speech in the Oval Office. He said,

“I’m not happy about certain aspects of it, but I’m thrilled by other aspects of it. We’re going to see what happens. It’s got a way to go.”

The bill, which has already passed the Republican-controlled House, now moves to the Senate. Debate is heating up there, and House Speaker Mike Johnson warned senators not to make big changes to the bill. He said that the bill is a “very delicate balance” and that changing it too much could cause the whole deal to collapse. Once the Senate finalises the bill, the House will have to vote on it again.

What’s next for Musk and the GOP?

Musk’s departure adds more tension to the already difficult discussions within the Republican Party about how to manage government spending. His strong criticism of the bill and decision to leave his advisory role show that even close Trump allies are divided over the administration’s direction on key fiscal issues.

Whether or not the bill passes in its current form, Musk’s exit has brought fresh attention to debates about federal spending, immigration enforcement, and tax cuts—and has shaken up the political conversation in Washington.

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