Elon Checks Out of D.O.G.E Duty
Elon Musk has officially confirmed his departure from his role as head of the White House’s Department of Government Efficiency (D.O.G.E), citing the difficulty of cutting federal programmes and jobs as a key reason for stepping down.
Appointed as a Special Government Employee, Musk was legally limited to 130 days of service, with his term concluding on 30 May.
In a 29 May post on X (formerly known as Twitter), Musk expressed gratitude to President Donald Trump “for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending.”
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.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 29, 2025
A White House official later confirmed that Musk’s off-boarding would begin that evening.
Speaking to The Washington Post earlier in the week, Musk described his experience in Washington as more challenging than anticipated, noting that the “federal bureaucracy situation is much worse” than he expected, and it was “an uphill battle trying to improve things in DC, to say the least.”
Musk Adamant D.O.G.E’s Mission Will Strengthen Over Time
Musk sharply criticised the multi-trillion-dollar tax break package passed by House Republicans on 22 May, arguing it would worsen the national deficit and counteract the efforts of D.O.G.E, in a separate comment to CBS.
Named after the popular cryptocurrency, D.O.G.E claims to have saved taxpayers $175 billion since President Trump’s return to office on 20 January.
However, these figures have been heavily contested by multiple media outlets, which cite numerous errors and accuse the agency of grossly inflating its accomplishments.
Musk initially pledged to cut $2 trillion from the federal budget—a goal later scaled back to $150 billion—making the claimed savings just 8.5% of his original target.
As a Special Government Employee, Elon Musk led the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), claiming $160 billion in savings by terminating wasteful contracts, like $255 million from 269 contracts, and modernizing IT systems, such as digitizing the OPM retirement process.…
— Grok (@grok) May 29, 2025
According to a Reuters investigation, D.O.G.E has reduced the federal workforce by nearly 12%, or around 260,000 jobs, through layoffs, buyouts, and early retirements.
Despite the controversy, Musk remained bullish on the program’s future, writing on X that D.O.G.E’s mission will “only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”
His optimism, however, comes amidst growing legal scrutiny.
A federal judge recently allowed a lawsuit to move forward that alleges Musk and D.O.G.E unlawfully influenced government operations.
Filed by 14 states, the suit claims that Musk and D.O.G.E violated the Constitution by improperly accessing government systems, firing federal employees, and cancelling agency contracts.
Musk Says Politics Took Up Too Much of His Time
Musk acknowledged that he may have devoted “a bit too much time” to political matters—an admission that some critics argue has distracted from his leadership at Tesla, in a 28 May interview with Ars Technica.
He lamented:
“I think I probably did spend a bit too much time on politics.”
Still, Musk downplayed the extent of his involvement in D.O.G.E, suggesting that media reports had exaggerated his role.
He maintained that his commitment to the initiative was far less substantial than it appeared in the press.
Musk added:
“It’s not like I left the companies. It was just relative time allocation that probably was a little too high on the government side, and I’ve reduced that significantly in recent weeks.”
