Elon Musk has announced on social media that he is leaving his role in the Trump administration, a departure the White House confirmed was in process on Wednesday evening.
“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 billionaire wrote on X, his social media platform.
“The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government,” he said, referring to his “department of government efficiency.”
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A White House official told Reuters it was accurate Musk is leaving the administration and his “off-boarding will begin tonight.”
The departure of a man who once appointed himself Trump’s “first buddy” was quick and unceremonious. Musk did not have a formal conversation with Trump before announcing he was leaving the administration, according to a source with knowledge of the matter, who added that his exit was decided “at a senior staff level”.
Musk, the world’s richest person, has defended his role as an unelected official who was granted unprecedented authority by Trump to dismantle parts of the US government. His 130-day mandate as a special government employee in the Trump administration was set to expire about 30 May.
Both Musk and the administration has said DOGE’s efforts to restructure and shrink the federal government will continue.
Musk has been signalling his departure from Washington, and his commitment to return his business ventures, all week. He sharply criticised Trump’s spending plan, and expressed frustration with the response to the efforts of his signature “department of government efficiency” (Doge).
He criticised the president’s marquee tax bill, calling it too expensive and a measure that would undermine his work to make the government more “efficient”.
Credit: THEGUARDIAN