In a rather abrupt exit that could make a soap opera plot seem tame, Elon Musk has announced his departure from the federal government after a brief 130-day stint as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Appointed by none other than Donald Trump, Musk took on this role earlier this year, only to bid adieu on May 28.
Posting on his social media platform, X, Musk expressed gratitude to President Trump: “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,” he tweeted. “The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.” In essence, it seems Musk hopes that his brief foray into public service will leave a lasting imprint—like a temporary tattoo that refuses to wash off.
Appointed in January, Musk carried the title of “special government employee,” a designation that legally caps his service at 130 days. The timing of his departure remains a bit murky; if he officially began on February 3, his tenure would end on June 13, but if we assume he was working even earlier, then May 30 marks his exit date. In the grand scheme, does it really matter? Perhaps not, but it does add a layer of intrigue to the timeline.
Following a significant outage on X—an event that had users questioning if they’d entered a digital dark age—Musk declared he would return to focusing on his various enterprises, including SpaceX and Tesla. “Back to spending 24/7 at work and sleeping in conference/server/factory rooms,” he quipped on X. Clearly, his dedication to innovation is rivaled only by his penchant for melodrama.
Shortly thereafter, Musk made waves by critiquing Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill Act during an upcoming episode of “CBS Sunday Morning,” set to air on June 1. He voiced disappointment over the projected increases to the federal budget deficit, warning that the legislation undermines the very mission of DOGE. “I think a bill can be big, or it can be beautiful, but I don’t know if it can be both,” he remarked, channeling his inner philosopher while simultaneously poking fun at the political process.
This prompted a response from House Speaker Mike Johnson, who clarified that the reconciliation bill focuses on mandatory spending like Medicaid, while DOGE’s cuts are aimed at discretionary funds—a distinction that might make sense only to the most seasoned bureaucrats. Meanwhile, Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff for policy, pointed out that DOGE’s recommended cuts would need to be enacted through a rescissions package or appropriations bill, as the Senate’s reconciliation process doesn’t allow for such discretionary reductions.
“The Big Beautiful Bill is NOT an annual budget bill and does not fund the departments of government. It does not finance our agencies or federal programs,” Miller stated on X, perhaps hoping to clarify the labyrinthine nature of federal spending to a bemused public.
During Musk’s brief tenure at DOGE, supporters of the administration praised his efforts to audit federal agencies and curb wasteful spending, while critics alleged that the cuts were being made unlawfully, bypassing congressional approval. It appears that in the realm of government efficiency, opinions are as divided as the budget itself.
Jackson Richman and Katabella Roberts contributed to this report.
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