DOGE: Elon Musk leaves the White House
Musk's time as a "special government employee" is coming to an end. Most recently, the entrepreneur was not without controversy in the White House, either.
Elon Musk in the cabinet (April 2025).
(Image: WeiĂźes Haus/Molly Riley)
Elon Musk's time as a "special government employee" has come to an end. On Wednesday, the entrepreneur announced his departure from the White House on X. The US government confirmed his departure to the Reuters news agency in the evening.
Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) were tasked with scrutinizing and cutting US government spending at the behest of US President Donald Trump. The austerity dictate affected numerous US authorities and US government funding programs, which scientific institutions also rely on.
DOGE is controversial
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which is to be partially wound up and integrated into the U.S. State Department following massive budget cuts, is particularly affected. DOGE's measures are also the subject of numerous court cases.
Musk and DOGE's brutal approach is highly controversial. It has not only made him friends in the US government either. Most recently, Musk criticized the US government's customs policy, causing consternation in the White House. According to reports, his initially close relationship with Trump has cooled considerably.
Musk's departure from the White House was generally expected at the end of May. The term of office of a special government employee is limited by law to 130 days per year. After initial speculation that Musk could play an important role in the White House beyond this period, it does not currently look like this will be the case.
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"Would like to thank President Trump"
"As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President Donald Trump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending," Musk told X. "The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government."
DOGE will continue to exist after Musk's departure. The agency was founded on a temporary basis and, according to the original plans, is to be dissolved in July 2026. According to some figures, DOGE had saved 160 billion US dollars by the end of April. This means that Musk has so far fallen short of his self-imposed target of reducing the burden on the US budget by 2 trillion US dollars.
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