Elon Musk steps down from government efficiency role as special employee term ends

By lauraharris // 2025-05-31

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Elon Musk has officially stepped down as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), concluding his 130-day term as a special government employee under President Donald Trump.
Established by Trump on Jan. 20, DOGE is a temporary, cross-agency task force aimed at eliminating government inefficiencies, waste, fraud and overspending. It is scheduled to dissolve on July 4, 2026.
Musk became the public face of DOGE, earning praise from Trump but facing backlash from Democrats and activists. His endorsement of Trump and involvement with DOGE sparked political controversy and affected Tesla’s stock.
Both Musk and Trump had publicly acknowledged that the role was temporary. Musk stated in interviews and during a Tesla earnings call that his mission would largely be complete by late spring and his focus would return to his companies.
Though stepping down from formal duties, Musk indicated he may continue to advise DOGE occasionally, dedicating one or two days per week to ensure the reforms he initiated are maintained.

Elon Musk has announced that he is stepping down from his role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), marking the end of his temporary appointment as a special government employee under President Donald Trump. On Jan. 20, Musk began his tenure, following Trump's executive order establishing DOGE as a temporary, cross-departmental task force charged with rooting out government inefficiencies, overspending, corruption and fraud. DOGE is slated for dissolution on July 4, 2026, per the executive order. (Related: Trump's DOGE saves $1 BILLION daily.) Musk, known for his aggressive approach to cost-cutting and disruptive innovation, quickly became the face of the initiative. During his time with DOGE, Musk drew significant backlash from Democratic lawmakers and activist groups, some of whom organized boycotts and campaigns targeting his companies. Tesla stock has fluctuated amid the political turbulence, especially after Musk's high-profile endorsement of Trump following the failed assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, last July. Despite the firestorm, Musk remained a close ally of Trump throughout the campaign and into the new administration. Trump has repeatedly lauded Musk and his efforts, crediting the billionaire with helping to "slim down the bloat of bureaucracy." While Musk acted as the figurehead of DOGE, court documents in March clarified that he was not an official employee of the DOGE Service and did not report to its acting chief. His special employee status placed him outside traditional federal hierarchies, allowing him to influence policy without becoming enmeshed in bureaucratic structures. However, under the law, special government employees are only allowed to serve up to 130 days within 365 days. Musk's term concludes on May 30, the final day of his eligibility. Musk thanked Trump for the opportunity to serve. "As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President Trump 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," he posted on X Wednesday, May 28. The White House confirmed Musk's statement, adding that his off-boarding process began Wednesday night.

Musk always viewed his DOGE mission as time-bound

The departure of Musk from DOGE was long anticipated, with both the tech mogul and the president signaling for months that the arrangement was always intended to be temporary. In an April interview with Fox News' Bret Baier, Musk said he viewed his mission as time-bound. "I think we will have accomplished most of the work required to reduce the deficit by a trillion dollars within that time frame," Musk said when asked whether he would continue beyond the 130-day limit. Trump echoed the sentiment during a March 31 media availability, saying he respected that Musk needs to return to his business empire. "I think he's amazing. But I also think he's got a big company to run. And so at some point, he's going to be going back. I'd keep him as long as I can keep him. He's a very talented guy. You know, I love very smart people. He's very smart. And he's done a good job," the president said. Musk then reiterated this plan during the April 22 quarterly earnings call of Tesla. At the time, he disclosed that he planned to scale back his involvement with DOGE this May. "I'll have to continue doing it for, I think, the remainder of the president's term just to make sure the waste and fraud that we stopped does not come roaring back, which it will do if it has the chance. So I think I'll continue to spend, you know, a day or two per week on government matters for as long as the president would like me to do so and as long as it is useful," Musk said. He also emphasized that his priority was shifting back to Tesla and his other business ventures. "But starting next month, I'll be allocating far more of my time to Tesla now that the major work of establishing the Department of Government Efficiency is done." Visit BigGovernment.news for stories similar to this. Watch the video below that talks about Democrats freaking out over DOGE.

This video is from the Son of the Republic channel on Brighteon.com.

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Musk always viewed his DOGE mission as time-bound

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