Washington: Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk on Wednesday announced his departure from his role as a Special Government Employee, where he was leading efforts to cut federal spending through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). His resignation came shortly after expressing disagreement with President Donald Trump over a new federal spending bill.

"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 posted on his social media platform X.

He added, "The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government."

What was Musk’s idsue with Trump’s spending bill?

Musk criticised the "One Big, Beautiful Bill Act", which passed the US House and is now in the Senate, arguing that it would worsen the national deficit and undermine DOGE’s goals.

"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," he told CBS News.

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

How did the White House respond?

The White House appeared to minimise the dispute, with Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller posting on X that the spending bill is not an annual budget bill. He clarified that DOGE’s proposed cuts would need to be enacted through a separate bill, as per Senate rules.

What Challenges Did DOGE Face During Musk’s Tenure?

DOGE, which operated out of the White House with a team of young tech specialists, was often blamed for broader dissatisfaction with the administration. Musk said the agency had become a scapegoat:

"DOGE is just becoming the whipping boy for everything," he said in an interview with The Washington Post from Starbase, Texas. "Something bad would happen anywhere, and we would get blamed for it even if we had nothing to do with it."

He added, "The federal bureaucracy situation is much worse than I realised. I thought there were problems, but it sure is an uphill battle trying to improve things in DC, to say the least."

Did DOGE achieve its goals?

While Musk said that tens of thousands were removed from the government payroll and some departments were shut down, he admitted that many goals were not met. Reports also cited his domineering style and limited understanding of Washington politics as factors contributing to DOGE’s limited success.

How did Musk’s government role impact his businesses?

Musk’s involvement in politics had negative consequences for his companies. Protesters targeted Tesla dealerships, and some vehicles were set on fire. Company profits also declined during this period.

"People were burning Teslas. Why would you do that? That's really uncool," he said.

Following recent failures in Space X’s Mars exploration mission—most notably the explosion of a Starship prototype over the Indian Ocean—Musk is now shifting focus back to his private ventures.

He also stated he would reduce political spending after contributing around $250 million to support Trump’s 2024 campaign.

AFP inputs