Elon Musk exits Washington: Turbulent tenure at an end
Elon Musk is leaving the US administration, where he served as one of the chief advisors to President Donald Trump and the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The 53-year-old Elon Musk announced his decision on Wednesday in a post on his social media platform X. The Associated Press (AP) emphasises that this closes a turbulent period characterised by thousands of redundancies and a thorough restructuring of government agencies. Although Musk undertook many initiatives, their effects were significantly more modest than anticipated.
Initially, Musk planned to reduce government spending by $2 billion, but ultimately, he managed to decrease it by £120 billion. He faced strong opposition from other members of the Trump administration who opposed his reforms.
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, Musk stated.
Musk, one of the wealthiest individuals globally and the proprietor of several renowned companies, including Tesla and SpaceX, had previously announced a break from politics to focus on business management.
His departure coincided with public criticism of a key legislative element of the Trump administration, which he described as a "huge budget bill". In an interview with CBS, Musk expressed disappointment with what President Trump had hailed as his "big, beautiful bill." He argued that size cannot be reconciled with aesthetics.
Musk frustrated with politics
AP notes that despite initially engaging at least £200 million in Trump's campaign and expressing strong support for the president, Musk became increasingly frustrated over time with the bureaucratic challenges of Washington. He admitted that the clash with the federal administration was "much more difficult than I anticipated". He described his struggles for reform as a "tough battle".
The White House sent to Congress a budget cut proposal totalling £7.5 billion, including reductions in funding for public radio and television, as well as foreign aid. Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson announced further cuts based on DOGE’s findings.
According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Trump's legislative package is expected to increase the federal deficit by approximately $3.2 trillion over the next decade. This contradicts the claim of Republicans, who argue that economic growth will offset the budgetary effects.
