Musk released the news for X, where he declared his controversial government cost-cutting measures a victory.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk has announced that he has left President Donald Trump’s administration and is leading a multi-month project to cut federal costs.
“As the time scheduled for special government officials is coming to an end, I would like to thank President @RealdonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,” he wrote on social media platform X on Wednesday evening.
“The @Doge mission will be strengthened over time as it will become a government-wide lifestyle,” Musk said, referring to the efficiency of the government, where he was the top figure.
An unnamed White House official confirmed the news with the Associated Press.
Musk joined the Trump administration in January and was promised to cut at least $1 trillion from the US federal budget, but Doge’s website shows that it has only achieved around $175 billion, or $1,088.96 per US taxpayer.
The departure of the mask coincides with the 130-day limit for “special government officials,” but the White House says it is Doge’s efforts to cut federal spending and continue to rebuild government.
But the relationship between the billionaire and the US president appears to have cooled since last year, when Musk poured nearly $300 million into Trump’s presidential run.
Over the weekend, Musk publicly raised concerns about Trump’s flagship, the Big, Beautiful Bill. This is a 1,000-page law that extends the president’s 2017 tax cuts while adding food aid and Medicaid work requirements.
“Frankly, I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill. This not only reduces it, it also increases the budget deficit and undermines the work the Doge team is doing,” Musk told news program CBS on Sunday morning.
The bill also sets a wall between the US and Mexico and allocates spending on several of Trump’s signature projects, including fundraising for immigration and customs enforcement.
The “big, beautiful bill” passed in the House last week will be discussed by the Senate.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, if passed in its current form, the bill is expected to raise the US deficit to 3.9 trillol by 2034, cancelling Doge’s work.
“The bill will grow, or you may think it’s beautiful, but I don’t know if it’s both. My personal opinion,” Musk told CBS.
When asked about his concerns about masks, Trump told reporters he was working on the bill.
“We’re going to negotiate that bill, and I’m not happy with any particular aspect of it, but I’m excited about the other aspects of it,” Trump said.
“That’s how they get there.”
Trump declined to directly criticize Musk, but US media reported clashes between billionaires, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and members of the Trump Cabinet.
US news outlet Politico reported that mask exits were already being discussed in April in April after clashing with top White House officials and staff.
Some of Musk’s Doge Cuts have also turned off US voters, including key swing conditions. Earlier this year, the billionaire failed to secure a conservative candidate’s victory in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, despite spending $20 million.
An April opinion poll from the Washington Post and ABC News showed that mask approval rates were only 35% in their work with the Trump administration.
Musk said he would cut political spending earlier this month following an increase in public scrutiny, turning his attention to businesses like Tesla that suffered in the worst quarter since 2022.
“I’m going back to spending 24/7 at work and sleeping in meetings/servers/factory rooms. I have to be very focused on X/Xai and Tesla (the launch of Plus Starship).
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