Elon Musk, the billionaire innovator behind Tesla and SpaceX, has officially wrapped up his tenure in the Trump administration—marking the end of a chapter that focused on cutting government waste and bureaucratic bloat.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Musk confirmed his departure as a “Special Government Employee,” a unique position that allowed him to serve the administration on a part-time basis for up to 130 days per year. That clock ran out at the end of May, and Musk made sure to publicly thank President Trump for the opportunity.
“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,” Musk wrote. “The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”
Musk is referring to his work at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—an agency President Trump created shortly after taking office in January 2025. The goal was bold and straightforward: dismantle Washington’s bloated bureaucracy, eliminate corruption, and deliver real accountability to the American taxpayer.
In a high-profile announcement last year, Trump appointed both Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, a former GOP presidential candidate and entrepreneur, to lead DOGE.
“They will pave the way to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies,” Trump said at the time.
The move was praised across conservative circles as a breath of fresh air—finally putting real-world leaders in charge of fixing a broken system that had long served itself, not the American people.
While Musk remains on good terms with President Trump, reports suggest he’s grown disillusioned with Washington and the obstacles he faced while trying to reform it from within.
According to a report by the New York Times, Musk — who once proudly referred to himself as the president’s “first buddy” — has now created some distance from daily government work.
“Mr. Musk remains on good terms with Mr. Trump,” the report says, “but he has also made it clear that he is disillusioned with Washington and frustrated with the obstacles he encountered as he upended the federal bureaucracy.”
Anyone who’s paid attention to the rot inside the federal government can understand that frustration. Musk came in with a clear mission but found himself battling not just inefficiency, but an entrenched class of bureaucrats more interested in protecting their turf than serving the people.
Musk had even expressed disappointment with what was once touted as a major legislative win—the so-called “big, beautiful bill” championed by Congress. Musk believed it undermined the work DOGE was doing by adding back layers of government waste under the guise of bipartisan compromise.
“It undermines the work the DOGE team is doing,” Musk previously said of the bill.
Musk’s departure may be official, but his influence is still being felt. Praise for his contributions poured in from across the conservative world—highlighting just how impactful his time in Washington has been.
Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff, was among the first to thank Musk:
“The work DOGE has done to eliminate government waste and corruption — the rot embedded deep within Washington — is among the most valuable services ever rendered to government,” Miller posted. “And the work has only just begun.”
Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk echoed those sentiments:
“Thank you, Elon Musk. A grateful nation thanks you. You changed the culture of the federal government for the better — an incredibly difficult feat — a legacy that will have ramifications for many, many administrations to come.”
Others followed suit, emphasizing Musk’s patriotism and the sacrifices he made to help restore sanity to Washington.
“Although Congress has failed to act significantly,” one user posted, “you have awakened many people to the true and utter corruption of our supposed representatives.”
“America owes a great debt to Elon Musk,” another added. “He sacrificed his billionaire lifestyle to help this country. A true American Patriot. Thank you for your service Elon.”
“Thank you Elon for laying the foundation for a more efficient government,” another post read. “Could not have hoped for a better person to peer behind the veil of the Federal Government.”
While Musk is stepping away from his official government duties, his commitment to reform appears far from over. His parting message makes clear that DOGE is not just an office—it’s a mission, one he believes should be ingrained into the future of government itself:
“The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”
With President Trump continuing to push for reform, and with allies like Musk and Ramaswamy still engaged from the outside, it’s clear the battle for a leaner, more accountable federal government is just getting started.
