Elon Musk Exiting Trump's Administration After Slamming 'The Massive Spending Bill'

Elon Musk is officially cutting ties with President Donald Trump's administration after slamming a massive government spending bill. 

Musk's frustration reportedly boiled over when the GOP passed the high-cost domestic policy bill that, in his view, undermines the cost-cutting vision he once supported.

The split comes after months of Elon Musk being deeply involved in efforts to cut federal jobs, with his staff even sweeping through agencies to enforce wide-scale reductions.

Musk announced his departure from the Department of Government Efficiency, also known as DOGE, through a post on his platform, X. The entrepreneur, who served as a Special Government Employee, thanked President Donald Trump for the opportunity to cut down on federal waste, writing:

"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."

His farewell sparked a wave of praise from X users. "Thank you, Elon. You are one of the saviors who changed the course of this world and guided it toward peace. I am truly grateful.

Wishing you continued success and ever-growing prosperity in the future," one commenter wrote. Another stated, "Thank you for your service Mr. Musk. You will go down in history," while a third gushed:

"Thank you @elonmusk for opening our eyes to ummm...everything. Without "X" and you we would probably still be in the dark. You are one special human being!"

One user summed up the sentiment, "Thank you so much. For Doge and X."

Musk's short-term government role came to an end this week, just one day after he took aim at Trump's new legislative push.

In an interview with CBS News, the 53-year-old criticized the so-called "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," saying the massive spending plan would balloon the deficit and undo the very savings DOGE was set up to find. 

"I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing," Musk said and then added:

"A bill can be big or it can be beautiful, but I don't know if it can be both. My personal opinion."

The legislation, backed heavily by Trump and still awaiting Senate approval, aims to extend the 2017 tax cuts, hike border security funding, add Medicaid work rules, and roll back clean energy incentives. But the Congressional Budget Office projects it would raise the deficit by $3.8 trillion by 2034.

Musk's split from the Trump administration might have seemed sudden, but it turns out the plan had been in motion for weeks. The President had already informed close aides and cabinet members that Musk would be stepping back soon from his role in government, Politico reported. 

Insiders claim that behind closed doors, the two had decided Musk would return to focus on his businesses and play a more behind-the-scenes role moving forward.

Trump made the transition clear during a March 24 Cabinet meeting, telling those in the room that Musk's time as a high-profile government partner was winding down.

The 78-year-old brought cameras in for the end of the meeting and publicly praised Musk. "Elon, I want to thank you — I know you've been through a lot," Trump said, pointing to death threats and vandalism involving Tesla. He then called him "a patriot" and "a friend of mine."

Musk seemed to have geared up to walk away from his role in the Trump administration after signaling that his work slashing government spending was nearly complete. During an interview, Musk said:

"I think we will have accomplished most of the work required to reduce the deficit by $1 trillion within that time frame." 

Trump, for his part, confirmed the shift. "At some point Elon's gonna want to go back to his company. He wants to. I'd keep him as long as I could keep him," the President told the press. 

White House spokesperson Harrison Fields echoed that praise, calling Musk "instrumental" to the President's agenda and confirming he would stay on until told otherwise.

Musk refused to let the media twist the story of his departure from the Trump administration. Just ahead of his official exit, the DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) account on X shared a message that read:

"In the coming days, legacy media will try to convince you that President Trump and Elon Musk are no longer friends, and that's why Musk left. What they won't tell you is that Elon was a Special Government Employee, limited to 130 days of service, and that term ends tomorrow."

The post came as a preemptive strike, anticipating how the press might frame Musk's decision to step away from his short-term government role.

Back in February, Musk and Trump sat down with Fox Newsin a joint appearance meant to shut down similar rumors that there was tension between the two.The message then and now was clear, they are still on the same page.

During the interview, the host Sean Hannity chalked that up to a political strategy meant to "divorce" the partnership between Trump and Musk by fueling public doubt.

Trump did not hesitate to call it out. "I see it all the time… Actually, Elon called me — he said, you know, 'They're trying to drive us apart.' I said, 'Absolutely,'" he said. Despite the noise, both men insist the work they have done together through DOGE has spoken for itself. 

Elon Musk's role was always intended to be temporary, but the timing of his departure begs more questions.