Elon Musk leaves White House amid political turmoil and business headwinds

Elon Musk has officially quit his role in the Trump administration as a “special government employee,” concluding a tumultuous period marked by efforts to shrink the US government.

His exit, confirmed by the White House on Wednesday night, follows a period of mounting problems for his businesses, particularly Tesla, and a public disagreement with President Donald Trump over proposed spending plans.

Musk, who spearheaded the “Department of Government Efficiency” (Doge), announced his departure on X, his social media platform, stating: “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”. He had been designated to work a federal job for 130 days annually, a limit he was nearing.

His departure comes just a day after he publicly criticized Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” a legislative centerpiece proposing multi-trillion dollar tax breaks and a boost to defence spending.

In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, Musk expressed disappointment, stating that the bill would increase the federal deficit and “undermine the work” of Doge. He quipped, “I think a bill can be big or it could be beautiful… But I don’t know if it could be both”.

Musk’s foray into politics coincided with a significant decline in sales for his electric car company, Tesla. The company saw a 13% drop in deliveries in the first three months of this year, marking its largest historical decline.

While Tesla’s stock price initially tumbled by as much as 45%, it has since rebounded but remains down 10%. Tesla has warned investors that “changing political sentiment” could further impact demand for its vehicles.

Musk had previously pledged to cut “at least $2 trillion” from the federal budget, a target that was subsequently reduced. An estimated 260,000 out of 2.3 million federal civilian jobs were cut or offered redundancy packages as a result of Doge’s efforts.

Protests and acts of vandalism against Tesla vehicles and dealerships were also reported during Musk’s tenure at the White House, with the US Attorney General warning that such acts would be treated as “domestic terrorism”.