Elon Musk departed from his role at the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) just hours after voicing criticism of Republicans' spending bill, despite previously promising to continue his involvement.
Musk made headlines last week for calling out the "big, beautiful bill" supported by President Donald Trump during an interview with CBS News. Musk warned the bill would "balloon the deficit" and criticized its lack of focus on clean energy and sustainable tech.
"I actually thought that, when this 'big, beautiful bill' came along, it'd be like, everything he's done on DOGE gets wiped out in the first year," Musk told the outlet. "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."
Just hours later, the White House confirmed Musk would be leaving his position, even though he had previously suggested he would remain involved beyond his initial stint, but in a more limited capacity.
Musk relayed the news in a post to X on May 28, reflecting on his work as his time with DOGE "comes to an end." However, CBS noted in their full interview shared Sunday that Musk had said, "I will have some participation in that, but as I've said publicly, my focus has to be on the companies at this point."
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.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 29, 2025
The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.
While White House officials downplayed the departure as a planned transition, critics noted Musk's increasingly vocal frustration with government inefficiency and political theatrics. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz responded by calling Musk a "patriot" and said Americans "oughta be saying thank you" for his service.
Meanwhile, Trump told reporters Friday that he believed that Musk is "not really leaving," and expected him to make occasional appearances with his administration.
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