#ElonMuskDOGEDeparture

Elon Musk announced on Wednesday that his tenure as a US special government employee at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is over, according to a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Musk stated in his post: “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.” Following his departure, President Donald Trump shared on his Truth Social account that he would hold a joint press conference with Musk. Trump added, “This will be his last day, but not really, because he will, always, be with us, helping all the way,” leaving open the possibility that Musk may continue assisting the Trump administration in a different capacity.

Musk’s departure follows some differing viewpoints between him and President Trump while in his DOGE role. Musk criticized Trump’s “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” on Tuesday, expressing concern that it “increases budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing.” Musk had also advocated for “zero tariffs” between the US and Europe, while Trump had discussed tariffs on European steel and aluminum.

According to DOGE, it has managed to save an estimated $175 billion through government spending cuts, including grant cancellations and workforce reductions, since the beginning of its term. Specifically, DOGE made efforts to dismantle the US Agency for International Development (USAID), echoing Trump’s efforts to review and halt foreign assistance funding in one of his early executive orders. This cut in funding has drawn criticism from rights groups, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and UN Women.